《Assassination Through the Netherworld》 Chapter 1 - The Bringer Of Euthanasia The Earth - 1st of November, 2020 In London, the capital of the United Kingdom, a family of three sat calmly in their living room, eating their breakfast. Baguettes with egg, cheese and bacon. The BBC news played on their big screen. "BREAKING: For the last ten days the United Forces of the UK, the US and the EU managed to get the traces of the infamous ''Bringer of Euthanasia'' back to Bagdad in Afghanistan. An elite assault team has already been dispatched and we expect to get the news of the assassin''s fall in the next few days." The presenter spoke with a voice full of authenticity, even relief, as if she wasn''t retelling a script, but instead, giving wonderful news. ¡­ "I can''t believe they finally got him, that bastard is slippery!" Spoke to the man, Clarence Carter, a politician in the UK, member of parliament. "Yes dear, now¡­ We don''t have to worry anymore." The woman spoke with relief that challenged the presenter, no, surpassed it! Her name is Susanne, she is Clarence''s wife and a fellow member of parliament for another county in Scotland, their country of origin. She caressed a baby''s head, this baby didn''t resemble her or the man''s visage at all, in fact, the two were blondes but the baby is raven-haired. He innocently stared at the woman, not really knowing a different face for the last few months. Clarence sighed in relief at her words, the Bringer of Euthanasia, he''s many things. A serial killer, an assassin, a murderer, a bastard that sticks his nose where it doesn''t belong! He originated precisely in the UK a few years ago and his identity is widely known, is not even a secret. The Son of Royal Commander Lord Magnus Wagner and the late head of the Royal Scientific Division, Lady Anabelle Maxwell! Two extremely powerful figures in the UK''s scale of power, they could only give birth to a monster. The one that was once recognised as a genius by the whole world, Valentine Wagner. He still couldn''t understand how such a person went from being the World''s Child to the World''s Enemy. Be it as it may, he will surely be dead in the next few days, for the first time it is acknowledged that they managed to get his traces. They wouldn''t place a TV broadcast if otherwise. "How is she?" He asked casually his wife as if he was asking for the time. "She died yesterday, we have to get a new one~" Susanne spoke with a kind smile on her face, the implication of her words having no impact on her heart whatsoever! Clarence looked at the child and nodded, "Get rid of him as quick as possible." "I will~" She caressed the baby''s head a little stronger, causing him pain, but stopped when the BBC''s presenter, that had been giving the weather''s broadcast, hurriedly paled and the whole channel changed from red to black! "We have to interrupt the broadcast to inform you that the assault team previously mentioned has made contact with Valentine Wagner! They''re right now on the hunt!" She seemed frantic, even scared! Likewise, when they heard the news the couple grew anxious! This is a broadcast that was surely being transmitted to the whole world. But then¡­ Why? Why would they? Why would feel fear for something that isn''t happening even in the same country!? That''s because it''s Valentine Wagner! That psycho will do anything to attain his survival! He once exploded a big part of Brussels just to assassinate a European Mafia boss! What if he wants to retaliate!? Surely the first ones he would retaliate to would be the English! ¡­ "It seems the decoy worked, Quilt." ¡­ That cold voice, devoid of emotions resonated on their backs and their heads turned as quick as lightning towards the source! There, a relatively young and handsome man with raven hair and tanned skin stood smoking a cigarette and looking at the TV with interest, in his other hand¡­ There was a gun! He is dressed in black and grey commando pants, a shirt with a jacket and military black boots. "Y-You!" Clarence paled like he just heard the news of his mother''s death and so did Susanne, how could they not recognise this person! Without even shouting or saying anything, Susanne threw the baby to the floor with all due disgust and rushed for the phone! *PIUM!* A silenced gunshot resonated in the room and the baby started to cry the moment the poor cute thing touched the floor! "UWAAA!!!" A lifeless body with a hole right in the middle of the forehead fell to the floor and Clarence stared at all this as his heart started to pump blood crazily! "Don''t kill me! Why are you here!? I haven''t done anything wrong!" Clarence Carter lifted his arms in defeat, moving slightly to the right table only to stop when the young man pointed the gun at him next like he didn''t just end someone''s life! Clarence stared at the man''s lifeless eyes and couldn''t believe this! ''Why is he here?! He should be-!'' He caught it the next moment, it''s all fake! Those imbeciles were being misled! "Clarence Carter¡­ I have been after you for so long, to think you were so close all this time." The man huffed out a mouthful of smoke and threw the finished cigarette to the side with disdain, it fell right in the deceased woman''s body. The baby''s poor wails filled the room. "Why do you need me? I''m just a parliament member!? Do you want money!?" The man smirked at Clarence''s ridiculous acting. "Cut your crap, where is your laptop¡­? Give it to me and I will let you live." He didn''t care about words, he came here with an objective! !!! The moment the laptop was mentioned, Clarence started to shiver! "V-Valentine, I don''t know what you''re aware of, but¡­ I''ll give you everything-!" *PIUM!* A bullet shot straight through his leg and he pitiful fell on the floor! "UGH!! FUCK!!" "I told you to cut the crap, Malcolm¡­ I''m aware of your wrongdoings, you have the codes to access ''his'' server¡­ To think that you committed such stupid mistakes and led me to you, now crawl to where your laptop is!" ''Valentine, you have to leave quickly, we noticed something suspicious¡­'' through a communicator on his hear, Valentine heard a frantic voice. ''What is it, Quilt?'' Valentine stared at the crawling man and walked up to where the crying baby was before he lifted it up and moved back and fro until the baby stopped crying, his gun still pointing it at the crawling man. ''Our subject in Afghanistan¡­ He''s been eliminated, but¡­'' ''But what!?'' He asked and upon seeing the laptop on top of the room''s table, signalled Clarence to unlock it¡­ The man did with a lot of struggle. ''But¡­ They didn''t send as many officers as we expected Valentine, they only sent ten units with a dozen officers each! Only one tank to top it off! No missiles, no helicopters, something is wrong¡­'' this time it wasn''t Quilt who spoke, it was a feminine voice. Valentine chuckled at his girlfriend''s insinuations, ''What? You wanted more?'' He noticed the files he had been looking for in the computer, and upon confirming it was what he wanted, pointed the gun at Clarence! "W-Wait!! THAT''S NOT-!" *PIUM!* ¡­ ''Y-You know that''s not what I meant.'' The girl''s voice sounded flustered. ''Listen, Rose¡­ I have the files, with this, we can incriminate that bastard!'' He said and taking the laptop, he moved from room to room to see what he could find. ''Dear, you''re not listening to me¡­ Don''t you think, it was a little simple? The way we found Malcolm''s lead!? We have been tracing him for so long¡­ A Royal Mail''s signed letter, don''t you think that''s too simple!?'' ''What do you mean simple? I had to assault the whole branch to get hold of that letter! He could have sent it on email for us to intercept it, or use a middle man that we could have caught, instead, he used a secured letter, its cautions but not enough. And it doesn''t matter, I have the files that confirm everything, he is ''his'' accomplice and I can decipher his security measures now!'' ''D-Dear your anger is blinding- AHH!!'' ¡­ !!! ''Rose!? Rose! Quilt! Adam! What''s going on!?'' He yelled to the communicator as gun shouts and painful groans were heard from the other side. He kept asking what''s going on, thinking that likely some other group managed to find his hideout, Quilt and Adam would surely take care of it like always¡­ But something didn''t feel right, his senses were screaming at him to leave and his senses had never failed him¡­ Still, he opened a door, and inside there lay the deceased bodies of a man and a woman! Their wounds were fresh, clearly, they hadn''t been dead for long. His expression turned from surprise to disgust, he covered the baby''s eyes¡­ Those were his parents. Andrew and Eleanor Mayer, a couple very prominent in the politician department, confirmed it¡­ Those two were that man''s rivals, they had long since found his money-laundering scheme and were investigating, ''his behaviour. He took a few pictures, as long as he portrayed the connection between Clarence Carter and ''him'', this accursed family would be finished and he would finally be able to exact his revenge. ''¡­'' The silence at the other side of the communicator worried him. And it was at that moment that his eyes widened. ''N-No¡­'' he thought and his brain moved at myriad revolutions! ''W-Why would they be here of all places!? Right at this very moment!?'' The world seemingly stopped and his senses activated harder than ever before! He got the laptop in one hand and the baby in another, without even thinking of a reason, he ran outside of that room! ''VALENTINE! R-RU-! *PA!*'' !!! That was the last time he heard his girlfriend''s despaired voice, followed by a gunshot! He contained the tears in his eyes and stared at something outside of the window where central London could be seen! *FIIUSSHH!!* Something approached at great speeds towards the building. He saw it and cursed! "FUCK!" A missile! ''Let''s see if you can survive this, Bringer of Euthanasia!~'' An evil and cold voice resonated through the communicator! But he didn''t have time to curse at the motherfucker! Without even thinking of consequences, he grasped the baby and discarded the laptop, ran as fast as he could and jumped out of the four-story building! Halfway through his fall, the missile struck the building like a vengeance in an explosion that threatened to shatter his eardrums! *BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!* The shockwave spread through his body, wreaking havoc inside his organs! Gritting his teeth he witnessed the distance between him and the ground shrinking and his trajectory led towards a vehicle! Embracing the baby, he closed his eyes and braced for the impact! *BAAAANGGG!!!* "UUGGHH!!" Several of his bones cracked as she grunted in pain, it took him several seconds to recompose, he knew that he had to get underneath the car or escape! A moist feeling resurfaced through the pain the moment he struggled to lift his body up... Valentine grit his teeth intensely and stared down to where the baby was supposed to be. And the image was simply too grotesque to describe, this wasn''t an image foreign to him in the slightest, but the pain was still there. ''I have to leave!'' His lifeless eyes refocused the next second, the image of his possibly dead girlfriend resurfacing in his mind the moment he somehow managed to get off the vehicle! *BANG!* A particularly heavy boulder fell beside him cracking the asphalt floor and he sped up his pace as quick as possible! ''Survive, I must... Survive!'' This is the motto of his life, the trigger that would always allow him to leave with several scars, broken bones... But alive! He moved through the narrow abandoned streets, looking briefly at the people that stared at the burning building throw their balconies! The noise of a helicopter coming from far away resonated in the background, police sirens... ''Quilt! You son of a bitch! Once I get my hands on you!'' He growled inwardly and stood through the corner of one of the streets, looking at both sides. That last voice... It was Quilt, one of his best subordinates, or at least that''s how it was supposed to be. ''What should I do? it was a trap... They know I''m here, they will send everything they''ve got!'' He took out his gun, it had ten rounds left with two remaining cartridges. ''Steal a car? Hide in a building and call the second team? No, that won''t work, if the first team is compromised then the second...'' He kept walking through the corners, moving through the shadows as a boost of adrenaline took care of the pain. The police sirens grew louder and louder! ''There is no tube station nearby, but... The railway, no... If it''s ''him'' behind all this, then that''s what he expects me to do!'' One of the sirens grew noticeable louder and he saw how instead of a regular British police car, what showed up at the corner was a black Mercedes SUV with heavy-armed officers hanging on! ''Fuck!'' He concealed himself in a corner as the SUV stopped nearby and the officers, at least a dozen of them each with a carabine of their own, left the vehicle and started making their way through the narrow street adjacent to the one he was in, in mere seconds they would make contact! ''If I engage now, It''s going to give them my location...'' He thought, but there were no alternative options, the helicopter''s noise became louder as lower turned his opportunities to escape. He prepared his gun and thought deeply, ''Two cartridges, three explosive grenades, two smoke grenades...'' And the curiosity of the fact that only one unit had shown up so far despite the ringing sirens in the distance. ... "Here 7th Team at Valleyfield Road, we''re close to the Streatham Common Station, haven''t made visual contact with the objective, we await orders and secure the street." He heard the team leader speak as the whole team approached from the corner! "Boss, roadblocks await at Leigham Street and Valley Road, we should just secure this junction... The other teams have the perimeter closed, if we close the perimeter further it will create opportunities for him to assault us and escape!" One of the officers gave his opinion. The man lifted his hand in a fist signalling to stop, his gaze still fixed to the front. "Very well, we will-!" Right at that moment, from one of the corners, ''something'' the size of a fist flew through the air in front of them! "Wha-!?" *FIIIUSSHHH* Valentine shot the grenade he just threw to the right side midair, making a loud explosion as smoke started to spread from the grenade! !!! The dozens of officers were momentarily stunned and pointed the guns to the smoke, but only two of them noticed the grenades rolling through the ground towards them! "GRENAD-!" *BOOOOOOMMM!!!* *BOOOOOOMMM!!!* Valentine''s cold eyes stared at the officers flying through the air, several dismembered and it was his cue to start! He left the corner and pointed his gun towards the officers that were still on their feet. ''Four dead or incapacitated, three heavily wounded... Five!'' *PA!* *PA!* *PA!* He didn''t shoot their heads or torsos, they were wearing helmets and kevlar, he shot them right at their weakest point, their thighs and calves! "UGHHH!!! W-We have-!" The team leader immediately lost his balance due to the sudden pain in his calf and tried to communicate but as quick as lightning, Valentine jumped and gave the man a fierce kick with his knee, right on his head, so hard in fact that the shock phased through the helmet and blanked the man''s mind! The other two officers managed to raise their carabines and pointed at Valentine! "DIE!" *PAPAPAPAPA!!!* *FIUSH!* Like a primordial ghost, he took the team leader''s body and used it as a shield! "UWWAAAAAA!!" The man screamed in pain as his chest got hit by dozens of shots, some of them his kevlar could protect, but the rest of them went straight through his flesh! Valentine''s emotionless silver eyes stared at the three remaining officers as one of them had yet to stand up after he shot him in his thigh. ''SIX BULLETS LEFT IN THE CARTRIDGE...'' He pointed his gun through the team leader''s armpits and started to shoot! *PA!* *PA!* *PA!* Three bullets shot straight to one of the man''s whose helmet cracked after the grenade explosion, the three shots hit straight on the same spot, and the protective glass broke! *PA!* The next shot went through the officer''s brain. ''TWO LEFT.'' He took his remaining grenade and bit it before throwing it towards the two! "GRENADE!" One of them shouted and tried to crawl out of the way, turning his back towards Valentine! The other also did the same! ... That''s all Valentine needed. No explosion came, it was a fluke... But one of the men felt marginals amounts of pain right after, coming from his neck the moment Valentine''s knife went through cutting everything in its way! "AHHHHH!!" With one swift movement, Valentine dragged the knife until the man breathed his last ounce of air, and took his carabine, pointing it at the last one! *PAPAPAPAPAPA!!* He unloaded the gun on the last member until he moved no more before quickly pointing it at the man who only received a shot on his thigh, the man was unmoving, he either died from shock or fainted. ''I need to leave, too much noise!'' He took two cartridges of the carabine from one of the corpses, took the vehicle keys from the Team Leader''s corpse and took his decoy grenade, then ran towards the vehicle as fast as he could, the police sirens getting closer! ''As expected, they thought I''d take the Rail Station, I need to take Penwood Road as the other two are blocked!'' He needed to go fast, not only did he make a lot of noise, but one of the officers managed to speak through the communicator, the helicopter was a few seconds away if going by its noise! There is no time! Boarding the Mercedes SUV he started it with the keys he took from the late Team Leader, he placed the carabine on his lap and drove with his pistol in hand always looking at the visor. ... ''This is weird why is everything so empty?!'' As expected Penwood road was cleared... But there weren''t even civilians, which means that the whole area had been cleared a long time ago! It almost seemed like he could escape, but his senses were screaming louder and louder, to get out of there! This continued until gunshots started to resonate and impact his vehicle! *PAPAPAPAPAPA!!!* Two SUV''s loaded with officers appeared behind him the moment he went through a junction, he didn''t slow down at all. Gritting his teeth, he took out his grenade and removed the secure then waited with his gaze between the street and the visor... ... The shots continued and when the time was right, he extended his hand out and dropped the grenade! ... *BOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!* The grenade exploded the moment it came close to one of the officers'' vehicles and engulfed it into a fireball! The howlings of despair and chaos motivated Valentine, together with the anger produced by the image of his possibly deceased girlfriend in front of the ever so slightly approaching noise of the helicopter! ''R-ROSE, I- I CAN STILL ESCAPE!'' He saw the other SUV catch up to him and prepared the carabine to shoot at them as he drove, but he didn''t manage to see... The giant truck awaiting him in the next intersection. *PAPAPAPAPA!* *BAAAAANNNNNNGGGG!!* The moment he pointed his gun at the other SUV and started to shoot¡­ A black garbage truck ran over not only his SUV but the other... His consciousness blanked at that very moment. __________ *SLAP!* He regained his consciousness with burning pain on his cheek... Like a computer that had been switched on, his consciousness activated once again, taking from the last memory he had stored. He analysed the room until the figure of a man appeared in front of him, the same bastard that had slapped him awake a moment ago! Like a renewed flame, his anger rose and his silver eyes nearly turned red! He rushed with the intention of strangling this piece of shit to death, only to notice that his arms and legs were bound by chains to a chair! They were in a closed room, devoid of many lights... He had no idea of the location. "I''LL KILL YOU QUILT! I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!" He struggled free, obviously unsuccessful, the grim of the bastard in front of him raising his anger to unprecedented levels! "I SAVED YOU, AND THIS IS HOW YOU PAY ME!!" He had experienced betrayal before, and to some extent was even prepared for it, but this bastard, just like Rose was someone he could never imagine betraying him! "I''m sorry Valentine, this is how we humans are... You had what I craved the most..." Quilt spoke with a ''regretful'' expression that changed the next second, he pulled up his falling pants that were unbuttoned and moved to the back, where there was a... Camera, pointing at him?! "What you craved?! You betrayed me for something material!? Disgusting bastard! is that how I taught you?!" "Material..? No no, you''re misunderstanding..." He began, fixing the camera and switching it on. "What I craved was... Rose~" He smiled wickedly and licked his lips! !!! "SON OF A BITCH! WHERE IS SHE!!?" Blood rushed on his head the moment he imagined this bastard doing ANYTHING to his girlfriend! "She? I''m afraid she''s in a better place now, stubborn until the end, she couldn''t bear to betray you... I had to do with her corpse~" The disgusting pig licked his lips, remembering the atrocities that he did not too long ago. And now, Valentine went silent, his eyes turned bloody red, he only clenched his hands, knowing full well how this is going to end. "What I didn''t expect, was for her to be pregnant, huh? I guess she was concealing it from us... Hoping that her child wouldn''t have to live this life, she tried to convince you and even considered it a few times when I offered her to escape with me, but in the end, she couldn''t betray you. She would be alive now... It''s your fault, Valentine... EVERYTHING IS YOUR FUCKING FAULT!" "..." Valentine bit his lips so hard they bled! ''Pregnant... With my child...'' "Do you think because you saved us... that gives you the right to fuck the woman I love? TO STEAL HER FROM ME!? WHAT I DID IS JUSTICE! I GOT BACK WHAT WAS ALWAYS MINE TO BEGIN WITH!" "SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, COWARD!" *BANG!!* *BANG!!* *BANG!!* Quilt lounged on Valentine and punched his face, Hard! Over and over and over and OVER AND OVER! ''There is no way to come out of this alive... And even if I live, what''s the point?'' He thought while his face got continuously deformed, he didn''t even feel pain at this point. When Quilt finally stopped he gave Valentine a deep glare, but the latter... He spit a mouthful of blood on Quilt''s cheek... "You can punch me while I''m bound as much as you want, little shit... But that still doesn''t change... That I fucked the woman you loved UNTIL I COULD NO MORE!" With a wicked grim, Valentine stopped thinking with his brain, instead, he thought with his ANGER! He wasn''t going to leave this place alive, so he would do the only thing he could, stab this bastard where it hurt the most, even if it meant slandering Rose''s memory! "Y-YOU, YOU!! I''LL KILL YOU!" Quilt lounged again, this time more than ready to end her saviour''s miserable life! "Stop." A calm voice filled with authority spoke and Quilt froze on his tracks. "Y-Yes, Sir." Quilt seemed like he witnessed the devil. "Hmph! Following the old bastard''s words like a little bitch, that''s all you are Quilt! A LITTLE BITCH!" Valentine continued cursing and cursing with his bloodied eyes, even ignoring the fact that the person he hated the most in this world just entered the room... Maybe this man was now the second person he hated the most, with Quilt overwhelmingly taking the first place! A man in his late age, dressed in a tuxedo with dozens of medals on his chest, walked inside the room with graceful steps, his cold visage never leaving Valentine''s bloodied face while the latter also moved his stare from Quilt to him. "..." "..." Behind the man entered at least twenty officers, each with a rifle, all of them pointing at Valentine! Seeing such a lineup be prepared to protect ''him'' from his bounded self, he couldn''t help but laugh heartily. "Does that mean that you finally acknowledge my capabilities, Old Dog? A little late...I don''t care about it anymore." Valentine struggled to spit a mouthful of blood towards the man, hoping that it would fall on him and tarnish his graceful image a little, but he was standing too far away from him. The man simply sighed, "You''re broken, Valentine... You have lost everything, we have killed all of your teams, your woman is dead and sullied, your child won''t be born... And I''m about to end your legacy. You''re finished." "..." "All because you couldn''t hold on to your anger, because you couldn''t restrain yourself... I placed such a convenient hook and you took it like a fool... For all those years that I trained you, it was all for nothing, at the end you still committed the same mistake and let yourself be led by your anger... Disappointing, as your father, I can''t help but feel extremely disappointed." The man, Royal Commander Magnus Wagner, Earl of Bristol, turned around towards the camera and took a gun. "YOU''RE NOT MY FATHER! DISGUSTING OLD PIG!" "In all this life, if there is anything I regret is for Anabelle to give birth to you and your sister, such disgusting creatures, how could such horrible things come out of my Anabelle''s body... UTTER DISGUSTING." Magnus made sure that his gun had bullets and stared at Quilt who had gone behind the camera. "For five years we hunted each other¡­ I have to admit that you had the lead until the very end¡­ How lucky of me that you had such a disloyal dog by your side, I didn''t even have to offer him money~ How pleasurable, how does it feel? To have everything taken from you? That''s how I felt when your mother died for your sake, little shit!" ¡­ Valentine''s struggling body, curses and clanking chains resonated in the background as he spoke, "I want you to burn that slut''s body, I don''t want any surprises... This bastard''s blood must disappear from the face of this earth!" "AAAHHHHGGG!!! MAGNUS!!! DON''T YOU DARE MENTION MY MOTHER OR SISTER!!" "But sir..." Quilt spoke with reluctance, wanting to have more fun with his beloved''s body. "Do you dare overstep my orders, Quilt?" "S-Sir, I wouldn''t dare!" Quilt moved quickly and the next second, the camera started to record. Through the whole world, Valentine''s maddened figure together with the British renowned commander showed in their screens! ... Magnus began his speech. "Today might be one of the most important days in the story of humanity... After five long years of fright, of traumatism, of horror, we finally managed to catch the Bringer of Euthanasia in Afghanistan... Valentine Wagner!" Like a caged lion in a circus, Valentine''s haggard appearance got presented to the whole world. Across the countries of the first world, those that watched the broadcast, most of them felt relief, some of them felt disappointed, some laughter but at the end of the day, there was clamour! "The man that blew capitals, killed presidents and their families, murdered politicians, military officers... Innocents... We finally managed to catch this monster." Magnus closed his eyes with apparent relief. "We have surmounted a dark period for humanity, one in which we can''t sleep without being scared of our lives ending unexpectedly, one where our children can''t grow without fearing for their lives... I hold myself totally responsible for raising this monster for what he is today, and I will send him off to hell where he belongs, WITH THIS VERY SAME RESPONSIBILITY!" ... "YEAAAAAHHHHHH!!! KILL HIM! FREE US FROM THAT MONSTER!" "FINALLY WE CAN LIVE IN PEACE NOW!" ... "VALENTINE..." "THAT BASTARD! HE HAS GOTTEN RID OF SO MANY CORRUPT GOVERNMENTS, WHY IS NOBODY HELPING HIM!? ... Meanwhile, in the room, Valentine''s blood-red eyes stared at nothing. Maybe in that period in life before Death, where one''s life goes through the mind, as if trying to make one recall the magnificent experiences in life before departing from this world, as well as the nightmare one has lived. ... "Brother, Let''s play with that cat, it''s so cute~" A raven-haired young beauty ran in front of him and hugged a cat. ... "My Dear Valentine... I want you to be the best, why won''t you understand? If you''re not the best, how are you going to be truly free? Come here, I love you with all my heart." A mature woman ravishing as they get, with tanned skin and silky raven hair, held him in her arms. She just hit him for not completing his assignment with a 10/10. It wasn''t enough for her. "Mother I''m sorry..." "I love you, dear, I just... Want the best for you." She said happily, trying to conceal her swollen bruises. ... "Are you going back to her? We are married and yet... You spend more time with her than with me, are you hiding something from me, Valentine? I promise I won''t complain, as long as we remain together." Yet again, a ravishing female, one of the loves of his life, one that he didn''t appreciate, her blonde hair shone like the sun, but it didn''t enter his eyes at that moment. "I''m tired of your jealousy Francesca, I have to go..." With a lot of annoyance he took his jacket and left their mansion. He had someone to be with... "V-Valentine, don''t leave..." Her sobs were the only thing left in this mansion. ... On top of a bed, a naked beauty whose presence flooded every single one of his neuronal networks, lay on top of him, their body deeply connected¡­ Deep, her chest pressed against his as her raven hair covered their accursed act, he couldn''t have enough of her lips "AHM!~ B-Brother, my husband... Will come back soon, we have to finish quickly, inside, do it inside~!" He obliged with myriad pleasure. ... "-st words?" His eyes refocused, still flooding with anger. "Do you have any last words, Bringer of Euthanasia, Leader of the Terrorist Group, ''The Undefeated'', mass genocider, cancer of this world!?" Magnus Wagner spoke again, pointing his pistol straight at his head for everyone in the world to see. "... I have." "...?" Valentine gave his father a last glance and smirked with the evilest grin he could muster, once again, letting anger take his reason "Magnus... You''re lucky that my mother isn''t alive~" "!!!?" The man remained stoic but one could see the gun shaking from up close. "With husbands as garbage as you walking on this earth... If she was around, then I would no doubt have to be labelled as something else instead of ''Bringer of Euthanasia'' it would have to be... A TRUE MOTHERFUCKER!" ¡­ "YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" And that did it for Magnus! His late wife was a scale that shouldn''t be touched! "HAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHHA-!" *BAANGG!!* Valentine''s laughter upon seeing his father lose his composure in the middle of a global broadcast got interrupted by said man''s fist! He threw away his gun and took a combat knife directly! Going behind his son''s body, he took him by his hair and placed the combat knife straight on his neck! "YOUR LEGACY ENDS HERE!" *SLASH!* *SLASH!* Blood splurted everywhere covering half of the camera as Magnus'' Knife had to cut twice through his son''s neck before the stubborn cervix column finally gave in and separated from his body! The last thing the world managed to see of Valentine Wagner, the Bringer of Euthanasia (Painless Death) was his grinning beheaded head in the hands of his father, seemingly cursing this pitiful world with his wicked visage that reflected nothing else but one thing... ANGER! *** *** *** "UHHGG!! MAGNUS!!" The next thing Valentine felt was an immense pain on the back of his palm it was more intense than anything he had ever felt before! It prompted it to open his eyes and it was then that every other feeling coursing through his body firmly entered his senses. The strong gusts of winds clashing against his... naked body?! "Where am I!?" He stared to the side, trying to realise where he was, and it was then that he noticed he was freefalling! A blood-red colour filled his eyes together with gusts of blacks that somehow made him wonder where he was, why is everything red?! The longer he fell, the more the distinctive form of land formed below! "WAAAAAHHH!!!" He tried to analyse his standing but a loud shout resounded beside him that got his attention, there, another naked person fell just like him, but this person clearly wasn''t as calm! ''What is going on!?'' He didn''t know what was happening, this could only be either a nightmare or the skewered joke of a psychotic bastard! Throwing a bunch of people out of a plane, without parachutes for them to fall to their death!? It mattered not what his situation was in, once he touched the floor, everything would be finished. ¡­ While he fell, his gaze couldn''t help but move towards the burning tattoo that formed in his hand whilst he fell. The whole psycho throwing people out of a plane for pure fun seemed genuine, if not for the red sky and black clouds that covered the sky¡­ ''A nightmare? But it can''t be, he cut my head off¡­ I''m sure.'' His thought got interrupted when he felt the most will-breaking pain he has ever felt in his whole existence! *BAAAAAAANNGGGGGG!!!* His body finally hit the ground with the speed of a bullet producing not only a cloud of smoke but also a cloud of blood, his body got nearly disintegrated due to the sheer impact! Broken limbs, blood and flesh lay all-around a small crater produced by the impact, that¡­ And a small black crystal that shone with brilliant light! Valentine''s destroyed head lay with his lifeless eyes staring at nothing in particular. ¡­ A couple of minutes after¡­ The blood seemed to move by itself, together with the broken limbs and start to converge towards the black crystal. Little by little, blood by blood, organ by organ. With the black crystal inside the newly formed hand, Valentine''s blood started to converge and his skin reformed. At some point, his eyes regained a little of their light and his consciousness awoke from a deep nightmare! "AHHHHHGG!!!!" His howls of pain resounded right after and last for the next half an hour¡­ ¡­ Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Valentine''s eyes stared at nothing while his right foot, the last limb that had yet to form, reformed to finalise his body''s reconstruction. ''WHAT¡­ IS¡­ HAPPENING¡­!?'' Chapter 2 - An Extremely Vicious World Valentine''s hurting body finally lifted from the soil, his lifeless eyes stared at everything around him, the rational part of his existence tried to analyse, scheme, look for outlets, survival¡­ His emotional part, could think nothing else other than his deceased girlfriend. ''Rose¡­ Why didn''t you tell me?'' He grit his teeth and clenched his hands tightly, grasping a big chunk of soil before calming down. ''First I need to sort out¡­ Where am I?'' The overwhelming pain confirmed that this wasn''t a nightmare, he also wasn''t under the effect of any drug or the like. ¡­ Staring up he witnessed the same blood red sky, and two shining moons, not totally white, but with a yellowish tonality. There were supposed to be three, but one of them was covered by a gigantic and dense black cloud that seemed to come from the distance, towards him¡­ His gaze lowered to analyse his whereabouts, but it was then that he noticed something else¡­ ''This weather is hot?'' Furrowing his brows he stared at this forest'' trees and saw that almost all of them lacked branches, but there was something particular regarding all of them. They were burned¡­ Not burning, but more like scalding wood that had been burned recently. A sulfur smell invaded his nostrils, he could recall this, it''s like being in the peak of a volcano¡­ But there are no mountains nearby, this is a forest. Then there was the most pertinent matter he had been trying to ignore but couldn''t. ''Did my body¡­ Just regenerate? Or reformed?!'' His senses were confused, completely bewildered, this is supposed to be a nightmare, but clearly¡­ It''s not. His train of thought were interrupted when he heard shouts coming from the distance, not too close, but close enough for him to barely hear them. "AAHHH!!" ¡­ They were the pained shouts of someone desperately trying to catch his breath! It didn''t take long before he understood the reason of the shouts, regretfully so¡­ The black cloud approached enough to cover to moons and a wide expanse of the sky. And at that moment, he stared at the rain that came from it¡­ The rain that approached little by little! !!! His eyes opened widely at what he saw, in the distance, from where the rain was coming, the trees of the forest started to burn! Roughly half a kilometre away, the trees started to burn for no reason whatsoever, and they were quickly approaching him! "AHHHHHH!!! R-RUN!!" He heard once again, this time closer, a naked man ran approximately ten metres away from him, in the opposite direction of the rain! Not wasting time Valentine stood up, he didn''t know what the hell is going on, but he wouldn''t stay here to realise the hard way! Without any destiny whatsoever, he started to run, anywhere, but away from those burning trees! He made his way through the forest, noticing that all the trees were scalding hot, and the temperature increased ever so slightly, obviously the burning forest was catching up to him! Valentine didn''t know why the forest was suddenly burning, but he would! "AHGG!! S-SHIT!" The rain caught up to him, and the moment the first drop of ''water'' touched his naked body, a hiss of pain so acute it almost made him fall, reverse through his back! *SSSHHHH!!* Like a piece of raw meat placed on top of a frying pan, his skin hissed and burned as more and more drops of ''water'' fell on his back! "W-WHAT¡­ UGH!! IS THIS!?" Accelerating his pace as much as he could and bringing his movement skills to the maximum, he jumped between branches, looking for something! Somewhere to hide! ''AHHGG!! What can I do!?'' Burning in pain as the drops kept touching him mercilessly, he thought deeply! These trees have no branches, can''t conceal underneath. Dig a hole!? There is no time for that! And even then, the heat would cook him alive. He needed to find a cave¡­ But where!? There were only trees as far as he could see, what if he found a lake? That would work, but then again, if the water is like this rain! Only a cave would work! ¡­ For the next ten minutes he took the torture of his life. He had seen several men and women running, all of them naked, all of them in pain¡­ Some just plainly surrendered and waited until the rain consumed them. Valentine ran and ran until finally, he witnessed a straw of hope. Far, approximately half a kilometre away, there was a small elevation that could be barely perceived with the naked eye, not what he expected, but something different from the rather plain terrain he had been running until now. It took him three torturous minutes to reach it and he marvelled when it turned out to be a big cave! Upon realising this, he simply jumped inside without the slightest care! "UGHHH!!" He hissed in pain, paradoxically, at the relief of those fire bullets not hitting his skin anymore! The noise of charring skin continued for a few minutes until it stopped, leaving behind a skin so damaged that it almost couldn''t be recognised as skin. Still, he didn''t lower his guard, he couldn''t! His senses were telling him so! Therefore, lifting himself up, he stared at the pairs of eyes that looked deeply at him from inside the cave''s entrance. The rain caught up and one could see how the accursed droplets of ''water'' fell on the floor like bullets, burning it to the ground, but they didn''t do anything to the cave except for increasing the heat. Men and women, all of them naked. There were two females and three males. The three men sat in three different corners, while the two females sat together. One of them ackwardly tried to cover herself, but her visage contained not shame, but raw fear! The other woman glanced at him straight, she didn''t bother covering herself, her voluptuous body was open for everyone to see and her gaze contained plain hostility. She''s the reason why his senses were so acute before, her hostile gaze¡­ The three men also gave him a glance, one of them also burned to the ground, but visibly regenerating. "We don''t know each other, but why don''t you try to take your place over there? No one is going to harm you, we are as clueless about this as you are." One of the men said, he seemed to be in his thirties with raven hair and medium beard lock. He tried to become the leader apparently¡­ Valentine observed. Without saying anything he moved to one corner, still under the gaze of everyone else that seemed to be trying to come with terms with the current unexplainable situation. ''We are in a world where the sky is red, black clouds cover it together with three moons, the temperature is higher than the Sahara and it is currently raining acid.'' Totally logical. Valentine sat down and caressed his forehead, moving his gaze to the right where the darkening trail of the cave could be seen, this cave was way deeper than it seemed outside. ¡­ For the next three hours no one said anything¡­ The rain never stopped, but the weather was simply scalding hot, as if they were inside an oven! Sweat ran through all of their bodies. They, however, kept quiet. ¡­ That was until yet another body, this time almost completely consumed by the flames, bursted inside the cave with howls of pain. Another man, this time with long black hair, he appeared to be Asian. Aside from mumbling in his thoughts and memories, Valentine had noticed that most of them had tattoos similar to his, but in different parts of their bodies. ¡­ "SHIT SHIT!!" The Asian man struggled for the next half an hour before he could speak coherently. By now Valentine was almost healed, still surprised at this apparent new regenerative capacity. It took him several hours to regenerate from wounds that would have rendered disabled until death by common circumstances, that if he survived. "Why is no one saying anything!? Does anyone know where are we!?" The man spoke, clearly extroverted with an attitude a little too calm for their current predicament. No one answered, but they all regarded him as he struggled to sit and threw every single person here a mocking glance "Huh!? So is this how it is going to be!?" "¡­" "You! Tell me where are we, now!" !!! Valentine sighed at this man''s attitude. The classic thug, a scoundrel. Always going for the ones they consider the weakest. And in this case, it was the auburn haired female whose face was still marred with fear. He sat behind the blonde who threw the Asian man a deep glare. "Sir, calm down¡­ we can-" The same man from before tried to intercede. "Don''t give me that shit, now you''re going to talk? I don''t want to hear you, I''m talking to that slut! Where are we!?" All he received was the blonde woman''s cold words and threatening glare, "Back off¡­" she regarded his injured body and instead of standing up, she just remained in place. She then shot a glare at Valentine who had also been giving her a sidelong glance from his corner. ¡­ Upon seeing the blonde''s glare, the Asian man immediately understood she''s not pushover, she didn''t get scared and her whole demeanour isn''t short of that of a hooligan''s. "Just you wait, bitch!" He yelled and crawled to another corner of the room. "T-Thank you." The scared girl stuttered to the blonde woman who simply nodded and rested on the stony wall, looking outside as the rain kept falling and falling, she would periodically clean the sweat falling from her forehead, it was getting really hot! ¡­ The next several hours were spent doing almost the same, but Valentine frowned when light stared to become periodically dim, indicating the night, the rain now looked like fireballs impacting the ground, and it clearly was falling way less, but not yet dry. He furrowed his brows, which means that those three moons are like the ''sun'' in this world. At some point, unknowingly, his consciousness acknowledged this is indeed not the earth. The two men had been talking with the Asian man in a corner, deeper inside the cave where their words couldn''t be heard. ... Meanwhile, Valentine''s mind continued to analyse. ''I have to wait until the rain stops, but even then... Where to go next?'' Hunger was starting to strike on his stomach and this heat was simply unbearable! His gaze roamed around the cave, three men... Two of them haven''t undergone any kind of physical training, their bodies are average at most, while the Asian man could be seen to have some toughness in him, clearly some kind of thug or member of the Asian mafia. The most concerning ones were... That blonde woman, her body shows high train condition, not attributed to a gym if the scars on several parts of her body can be taken into account... Gunshots as well, small slices, possibly knife stabbings. Her attitude, confident, unfearing... She''s not normal, at least compared to the others. Her gaze constantly stared at him, as if performing her own assessment, she clearly witnessed his scars, his attitude had been nothing more than uncaring, not letting out any possible flaw, but even then she had focused on him most of the time aside from the Asian man... But still, she''s inexperienced... He gave the ''scared'' girl a glance and sighed to himself. The night continued when the three men came back, the Asian man now fully healed, his venomous gaze never left the duo of girls. "I believe we should at least hold a discussion regarding what we know of this place? We''re all in the same situation, is there a need for such a tense and hostile atmosphere?" The ''wanna-be'' leader spoke first upon the tense silence, his eyes couldn''t help but move towards the blonde woman''s chest that she didn''t bother hiding. And he wasn''t the only one. "Indeed, why don''t we begin with introductions, we''re the only people we know, and we all want answers..." The other man, a dark-skinned fellow that looked like a businessman spoke politely. The hypocrisy could be smelled from their mouths even from a kilometre away, but even then, information was a key to this situation. Valentine doubted they would have any useful information considering they all seemed to have gone through the same process... "My name is Michael Spencer, I''ll begin, we all fell from the sky..." The wanna-be leader spoke first as if trying to incentivize the others. "Shuzna Khatri, Y-Yes I regained my consciousness, falling from the sky." The scared girl was the second to speak, still creeping from the Blonde''s back. ''So she''s Indian-British...'' Valentine concluded due to her tonality, not only her, this Michael must have also been English. "Fayette Blanchet... I confirm." The Blonde beauty followed, and her gaze moved straight to him, clearly indicating him to introduce himself next. ''French-English.'' He thought and spoke next, not truly minding introducing himself. "... Valentine Wagner." However, the next second his eyes opened wide! ''Shit!'' He stared at the other people''s reactions upon hearing his name, but there weren''t many reactions. He didn''t notice how Fayette, the blonde woman flinched slightly, ''W-Where have I heard that name? Is he a french criminal?'' ¡­ "Tamachita Haruhiko... I too fell from the sky and my whole body got destroyed before reforming again!" The Asian man spoke with a cold voice, but his gaze had never stopped wandering the two girls, lust was more than evident in his gaze, but he knew now was not the time. The thug threw the bomb that many of them were not willing to talk about. "My name is Carl Stephenson, indeed my body got destroyed as well, but... I believe none of us has an explanation for this... Neither for the rain, or the red sky, or the three moons... That said, what can we do? This heat is getting unbearable and I''m probably not the only one hungry, right?" The last person present, the dark-skinned guy addressed the point of the matter. Indeed, none of them had the answer. "I suggest that we wait for one day until the ''rain'' stops... M-Maybe we can then leave and hunt something?" Michael suggested. "What can we possibly hunt!? Don''t you see how everything''s burning outside!? What if it never stops raining?!" The Asian man seemingly lost his composure, either by the lust of the natural heat, Valentine didn''t know. "I second Mr Michael''s opinion... What do you think, Mr Valentine?" Fayette gave her opinion and glared at Valentine, who in exchange only returned a glare her way. ¡­ ''You''re way too confident for your own good, woman...'' "I agree..." In any case, once the rain stops, he''s gone... Probably make a guide to return to this cave in case it is needed, but if he''s lucky, he will find a better place to hide against this rain, maybe inside a mountain rather than this shallow cave. He didn''t know what he wanted to do next, but suffocating in this scalding oven wasn''t in his plan. The Asian man huffed in disdain upon sensing that everyone confirmed the notion, it made some of them wonder what he wanted to propose if not wait... He stood up and walked inside the cave. ... Several minutes passed and the rain had yet to stop, Fayette even managed to walk right to the edge of the cave and noticed that the sky was all black, clearly, the gigantic black cloud was still there and it didn''t seem like it was going to move soon. "I... Want to sleep..." Shuzna whispered to Fayette, even she herself didn''t know if she would be able to sleep in this heat, they had to move from the walls since they were getting so hot it was impossible to even lie against them without eventually burning their skin. Fayette frowned at her suggestion "Do so at your own risk, Mrs Shuzna." That was all she said before laying on the ground with crossed legs. Shuzna furrowed her brows behind Fayette''s back she seemed about to say something when... "AHHH!! R-RUN! RUN!!" The Asian man, Haruhiko''s shrieking voice resonated from inside the cave, clearly approaching! !!! But it wasn''t only that the only thing that they heard! Valentine and Fayette''s gazes couldn''t help but frown after a second noise, coming straight from the deepest abyss... made itself known to them, their gazes couldn''t help but move at the speed of lightning to stare right at the entrance of the cave... The only escape route, only to see the small fireballs falling on it nonstop, sealing the route. *GROWWWLLLLL!!!* Chapter 3 - In Order To Survive The atmosphere became tense as every single person inside the cave stood up, the first to regard the incoming man was Michael who had been the closest! "W-Whats wrong!?" He yelled but his voice was broken, that growl just now! What kind of animal is that!? A bear?! I can''t be! He had heard bears and that thing is not a bear! Valentine moved back and remained on guard, inwardly cursing at that damned Asian that awoke whatever was calmly sleeping inside the cave! "I-I DON''T KNOW! THAT CREATURE IS HORRIBLE! WHAT SHOULD WE DO!?" Haruhiko also got in guard but his legs were shaking, maybe a little more confident now that there were more people around him, but still deeply scared! "This is all your damned fault! Couldn''t you just stay in your place!?" The first one to yell was surprisingly the ''scared'' girl, Shuzna! "SHUT THE FUCK UP, BITCH! I WILL-!" *GROOOOWLLLL!* *PUM!* *PUM!* The asian''s frantic shouts seemed to further irritate the mysterious creature that made its way through the cave''s tunnel towards them! The only thing they could hear was its abyssal growls, together with the steps it was taking, one step at a time closer to their demise! Except for Valentine, they all stared at the sealed exit repeatedly, there is no escape! It only took several seconds, seconds where the time seemed to have stopped as two bright red eyes showed from the cave''s darkness! !!! The creature made itself known, exhaling and inhaling deeply, making more and more smoke as it did so! Valentine clenched his hands the moment half of the creature''s body shone due to the light emitted by the falling flaming bullets. ''This thing... It''s not a bear...!'' The size is at least twice or three that of a bear! Its putrid and dirty fur was red and brown, whether the brown or the red colour was its original colour... They could only guess in their accursed heads! It had scars all over its face, clearly having fought many of its kind... And won. Its claws were as long as knives and no doubt, sharper. The beast''s gaze roamed every single one of them, staring at his food. "AAAAHHHH!!" Valentine who had been thinking of ways to... defeat... This thing, if it was even possible, could only move his gaze when someone yelled and it was then when he saw how Haruhiko took and pushed Michael towards the creature! !!! "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Carl yelled and hurriedly grasped Haruhiko''s shoulders but his gaze remained on the stumbling Michael who just fell in front of the beast! ... It didn''t take more than a few seconds. *BAANG!* "AUAAAHHHHH!! H-HELP ME!! UAAAGGG!!" The beast stomped his foot on the pitiful man''s body, crushing a big part of his body, and creating a minimal earthquake in the process. But it was enough for Valentine to analyse! The next second, the beast crouched down under their stunned gazes and opened its massive maw that to no surprise was full of nightmarish teeth, and directly bit on the howling man''s head! *CRUNCH!!* With but a single bit, the man''s whole head, neck... A massive chunk separated from its body in a gore-ish picture that would be imprinted in the minds of this group forever, those that managed to survive that is. *CRUNCH!* "W-WHAT DO WE DO?! WHAT DO WE DO!?!!" Shuzna yelled frantically and held Fayette''s legs, having already fallen to the ground, her eyes couldn''t stop watching the beast hungrily feeding on the man''s body! "FUCK THIS!" Carl released Haruhiko''s shoulders and ran to the entrance of the cave! Valentine only gave him a sidelong glance before he once again focused on the beast, looking through the cave to see anything... anything he could use! Fayette wasn''t much different, except for Shuzna and Haruhiko, no one paid Carl any mind! The man stood in front of the showering fire and grit his teeth, there is no way he''s staying here to be eaten by that beast! He doesn''t know if he''s going to die due to this shower of fire, but one thing he''s sure of is, that if he''s completely eaten by that beast, there is no doubt he''s going to die! "AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Therefore, with the biggest reluctance in the world, he yelled and ran outside of the cave! "UGGGGGGGHH!!!!" Carl''s pained grounds and howls of despair resonated for as long as he remained close to the cave, whether his body simply disintegrated due to the acid rain or he managed to go away, they couldn''t know. All they knew is that the beast is ready to finish its meal... "Listen, Valentine...? We can throw those two sluts to the beast and survive, I know you''re strong! You and I can try to survive as long as possible if we let this beast eat them! If it''s not enough, then we can try what Carl just did, what do you think!?" Haruhiko spoke next, still on his guard and proposed to Valentine. Valentine only stared at him briefly, ''He''s not as stupid as I expected him to be...'' His gaze moved towards Fayette, who was casually also giving him a deep stare as if waiting to see what his decision was going to be! Shuzna also gazed at him with the same expectation. *CRUNCH!* The beast only needed to eat another leg... It was clearly hungry just going by the time it was taking it to eat a whole body! "Very well, let''s do that." Valentine smiled wickedly and answered, his gaze staring straight... At someone in particular! !!! "N-NO!!!" Shuzna yelled in despair upon hearing Valentine''s answer. What''s to come next doesn''t need a scientific to decipher! "H-How can you..." Fayette gazed at Valentine in disbelief, this was clearly not the answer she had been expecting. "Good! As I expected you''re not a stupid person!" Haruhiko yelled and started to walk towards the duo together with Valentine, inwardly he couldn''t help but curse. ''I would have preferred to be left alone with the sluts, especially this blonde... But they''re weak, clearly, this fool is the best option to survive! If two bodies aren''t enough, then I''ll just suggest escaping to throw him to the beast at the last moment!'' He''d rather stay with either of the women, not only could he fuck them quickly but if necessary they''d be easier to push to the beast than this man! But if he proposed this to the blonde, she surely wouldn''t accept... If he proposed it to the weak girl not only she might refuse, but even if she accepted, could he restrain the other two by himself? That Indian-Japanese slut doesn''t seem to know how to defend herself. The best option is this Valentine! ... It took mere seconds for the two girls to get cornered, Fayette''s gaze stared at Valentine as if she wanted to burn his corpse to ashes! But it was then that her eyes opened widely when a sudden force pushed her forward! "Take her, take her first! I''ll pleasure the both of you, suck your dicks, you can take turns! ANYTHING! I''LL DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS YOU LET ME LIVE!" Shuzna yelled, her expression no longer pure, no longer kind! Yes, she would use those fools just as she had used everyone else! Men are so easy to control! !!! Fayette couldn''t believe what was happening, she expected everyone here to betray her but... "Y-YOU?!" A woman like her, and the woman she had been protecting ever since she arrived, betrayed her like this!? *GROOOOWLL!!!* The beast yelled once again in hunger, clearly expecting the next offering! And it was then that Fayette''s eyes widened once again. *BAANG!* *COUGH!* With a swift kick that no one was able to perceive Valentine kicked Haruhiko'' s stomach! The man coughed a great mouthful of blood, never having received a kick so devastating in his whole life flew several metres and fell on the ground on his back like a piece of trash! His head hit something and came to an abrupt stop, still in disbelief, ''W-What just happened?'' In front of him, there was the visage of the horrendous beast, its bloody mouth dripping on his head. ¡­ The beast''s leg lifted and placed itself atop Haruhiko''s head... Then started to press down, with more... and more strength! "AAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! DAMMN YOU!!!" *CRUNCH!!* The massacre started and the survivors gained themselves a couple of minutes. Valentine held the stunned Fayette''s shoulders, she gazed at him with widening eyes as more and more conclusions continued to be drawn inside her head! ''H-He... Excepted all this!?'' Valentine released her shoulders after having caught her and walked towards the horrified Shuzna. "I hope you learn your lesson, trusting a woman you just met? Naive." Those were his only words towards Fayette, this betrayal was more than expected... She might be experienced in combat... But not in life... Never leave your back towards anyone... Not even your allies. Had she not done that, she would have caught Shuzna''s wicked gaze and give-away attitude, victimizing herself in order to gain support, but willing to throw them through the cliff whenever necessary to survive... He had seen so many of them, he could almost recognise them by smell. He walked to the despaired Shuzna who crawled back, realizing her own mistake! "N-NO! DON''T DO THIS! I CAN DO ANYTHING! PLEASE UGH-!" All he received was a strike to her neck that knocked her out cold! *CRUNCH!* *CRUNCH!* Under Fayette''s still stunned gaze, Valentine dragged Shuzna''s body through the hot and dirty soil before throwing it like a bag of rubbish towards the beast that was still enjoying Haruhiko''s flesh. !!! Fayette regarded all this and clenched her hands, she couldn''t say anything. "We have three minutes... I suggest we attack it while he''s distracted eating..." Valentine sat on the floor without any care in the world! "How can you be so calm!?" Fayette yelled in exasperation! He just threw someone to be eaten by this creature like it was nothing! "You seem to not have understood... We have three minutes... I deemed you as the most qualified in this group, show me that I wasn''t wrong... Fayette." He said calmly and waited for her next answer! The mature blonde''s body shook in slight nervousness, she had lived through despairing situations, but nothing like this¡­ ''Indeed, there is no time for that now!'' "Are you saying that we can fight it?" She sat down next to him, they had three minutes, surely she could allow herself this much after being betrayed in such a disgusting manner. *CRUNCH!* She stared at Shuzna''s unconscious body with disgust, a few more bites to Haruhiko''s body and it would be her turn. "Do we have any other options? Do you want to run out there as Carl did? That black cloud covers approximately three cubic kilometres of an area if my calculations of its distance from the floor are correct, I''d say between three kilometres and five kilometres... That''s between twenty minutes to forty minutes of running depending on how fast you are, your body won''t take that long before melting, trust me, I incurred heave damage after just five minutes." *CRUNCH!* Each one of his words stunned her, but even then she managed to open her mouth next, "Four kilometres and three hundred metres approximately... I don''t bet on our success if we take that route, Valentine..." "... Have you hunted before?" "Never something this... Big." She answered still staring at the beast with disgust, what exactly is this thing?! "AAAHHHHHHHHHHH" Shuzna''s painful howls served as the ticks of a clock, telling them that they had to think faster. Obviously she woke up due to the extreme pain. "One minute and a half..." He said ''calmly'' and his calmness made her even more exasperated because her heart was pumping blood to the point she was starting to feel dizzy due to that fact and the heat of the place! "I can''t think of a plan at all, this thing it''s too big and just with the small tremours each of its steps does... It''s heavy as well, you should have noticed, we only have one advantage, it is very slow... But if it touches us even once..." She bit her lips and gazed at the beast''s claws as they ripped the howling Shuzna''s flesh until she made no more noise as if annoyed with her pained cries. She sighed and stood up, her big chest wiggling slightly as she moved her long hair to the side "I will do whatever you say... You''re the commander this time around." She said with all due seriousness. It was his turn to sigh as he stood up and walked to the cave''s entrance, she furrowed her brows but followed him nonetheless. "Just copy me, and don''t die..." He extended his hand outside of the cave and the pain came immediately! "UHHG!!" His hand extended and grasped a rock that was scalding hot to the point it was shining!! "AAHH!!!" He yelled in pain and took the rock in his melting hand in front of the stunned Fayette! Without even wasting a single second due to the marginal pain, he ran at maximum speed towards the beast and when he was in front of it, swung his arm that had the scaling piece of rock technically ''merged'' to it! *BAAANGGGG!!* *GROOOOOOWWWLLLL!!* *SSSSSHHHH!!!* His scalding rock impacted the creature''s head, right on its eye! and he didn''t stop there! With a swift movement and gritting teeth, still feeling the mind-numbing pain in his hand, he climbed on top of the creature''s body and kept the scalding piece of rock, firmly pressed against the beast''s eye! The noise of burning flesh followed together with the beast''s pained growls as it moved on and about, desperately trying to release itself from this bastard''s clutches! Valentine struggled to maintain his position, hoping this thing managed to burn through and reach the brain! "UHHHHGGG!!" He heard Fayette''s pained groans and saw her rushing at the beast with a rock of her own! Without even thinking she jumped swiftly and with a pirouette landed on the other side of the beast''s neck, almost falling! "HHAAAA!!" Resisting the pain, pressed the rock against the beast''s other eye! *SSHHHHH!!!* *GROOOOWWLLLLLLL!!!* The two grunted in pain and managed to keep their place briefly, that was until the beast managed to flush Fayette to the ground, not before clawing the side of her body! Its claws pierced through her skin like a hot knife does to butter and cut through a big chunk of her waist! "AAAAHHHH!!" She fell on the ground, very near to the beast and held her waist in pain, feeling her intestines start to leak out! Valentine saw she was incapacitated and grit his teeth, but the first phase was completed, this damned beast was blind now! He managed to jump from the beast''s body and land beside her, throwing the rock aside with great difficulty as the damned thing had technically melted in his skin! With a pained expression, the lifted Fayette''s body and without the slightest delicacy, threw her away from the beast! "UUGGGHH!!" Fayette grunted in pain and flashed him a pained glare, but only then did she notice that he actually pushed her away from the beast who could have stomped on her body at any minute! With obstacles out of the way, Valentine breathed heavily and tried to ignore the raging pain in his hand. It was melted¡­ ''The beast is now blind, but what if it can regenerate like us!? I have to be quick!'' It wouldn''t be easy, he didn''t have any piercing tools or weapons, only blunt rocks, there were only two possible places that he could attack and he would go straight for them! *GROOWWLL!!!* The beast growled in pain but also ANGER! It slashed its claws in all directions, piercing the scorching walls all around trying to kill the two pests that managed to injure it, but it couldn''t do shit... Valentine easily evaded all its clawing intents and when the time was right and the beast was in the right position, he lounged! Fayette stared at him once again go on top of the beast until he reached the head and without any delay, punched his fist straight on the beast''s burnt eyesockets! *BAANG!* *GGRROOOWWWLLL!!* The ''bear'' noticed that the little shit was on its body and started to move erratically once again, clawing here and there, hoping to catch it! *BAANG!* *BAANG!* Valentine held his ground with a serious and lifeless gaze, and kept punching the same spot over and over and over! Until it finally gave in! *BAANG!* With another punch, his hand went through! *GRRRROOOOOWWLLLL!!!* "S-SHUT UP!" He retracted his bloodied hand, not without making sure to extract a piece of brain at the very least! then punched again while holding his grip against the beast''s erratic and pained movements! *BAANG!* *BAANG!* After two more punches, he finally managed to get a catch of the beast''s big brain, he clawed onto it and pulled! *CRUNCH!* The beast''s grey matter struggled to tear but its body was responding against the merciless assault! "HAAA!!!!" With a swift pull, Valentine pulled a big chunk of the brain but he noticed something, this thing It has something hard inside it! *GROWWWLLLLL!!!* After taking the chunk of brain, he saw how the beast seemed to start to lose its balance he prepared to fall and pulled the beast''s abused head all the way down! *BOOOOOMMMMM!!!!* Fayette''s widened eyes stared at the falling beast as Valentine fell on his two legs after taking down the horrendous creature like he just killed a simple deer. The creature moved no more... And the Bringer of Euthanasia stared at the ''shiny'' piece of brain with interest, he tore the grey matter out of it as the ''thing'' became shinier and shinier. What remained in his hand is a piece of red shining stone. Something he had never seen before. What''s more impressive is that he... ''Felt'' like eating it... As if something inside was him was telling him that his hunger would stop if he did! "W-What are you doing!?" Fayette''s voice stopped him and it was then that he noticed that he had the ''stone'' halfway inside his mouth! His gaze moved to the naked bloodied woman who held her intestines in pain and gave him a shocked gaze. He lowered the stone, deeply in thoughts ''What was I about to do? This thing... It may even be poisonous, what am I thinking!?'' He threw the stone to the side and without saying anything else, his body fell beside Fayette''s totally wasted. She regarded him and then at the obviously dead creature, sighing in relief... They succeded. "Y-You know..." "...?" "That name... Valentine... Doesn''t fit you at... all." Those were her final words before falling unconscious, obviously, the pain having consumed her mind, at the very least she knew, that this wouldn''t kill her, not when that ''fall'' didn''t. Chapter 4 - Leaving The Cave I For the next few minutes, Valentine stared at the sleeping Fayette. ''She''s too confident...'' He sighed and struggled to stand up, there were things to do. He wanted to sleep, but he couldn''t... If the two of them slept at the same time and somebody or ''something'' came... They''d be done for. He knew by now that this sulfur, acid or whatever it''s called rain wouldn''t stop such a beast from coming in this cave. The heat hadn''t decreased in the slightest, but at least there was no horrible beast''s threat. He walked up to the beast and the first thing he does is break several of its claws with the rock he had used before, his hand still pained as hell, but there is no other way. This claws were his first priority, no doubt they were the sharpest things he had ever seen, they went through rocks as if they were tofu, they would be very useful to defend until he found something better. The claw was as long as a knife, he took one carefully and started to cut the beast. There were many things that he could take out of a beast like this one that would be for his benefit. Skin, bones, meat... All those were things he desperately needed. He continued his work for half an hour while Fayette visibly regenerated. When she finally woke up with a pained yelp, the first thing she saw was Valentine dismembering the big beast. She couldn''t help but admire his dedication and experience, feeling ashamed of herself for falling unconscious just like that, what if he had ill intentions? ''At least now I know... That he has no ill intentions against me.'' She sighed and continued watching him for a few minutes before struggling to stand up, there was still a bleeding wound on her waist, but her intestines were no longer visible at least. This regeneration is truly shocking. Her body looked normal, clearly, he hadn''t raped her, maybe he fondled her? She didn''t know but believed that he wasn''t such a person, especially with all the work he had done by now. Besides his working form, lay many things. Many layers of the beast fur, neatly trimmed. Many of the beast''s long and nightmarish claws, attached to the long bones by said fur making improvised knives... On another there were several chunks of meat, also neatly cut and prepared to simply cook, he had removed all organs and left only the edible meat, clearly, they had the luxury to choose due to the beast''s gargantuan size, but who knows how long it would take for that meat to decompose under these conditions... It would be a miracle if it lasted a day. "I will cook the meat if you want... You can sleep, I will guard." She said and only received a nod from him, he was still cutting more fo the beast''s flesh and obviously noticed that she woke up. Her stomach shook due to the intense hunger, she took a big chunk of the bear''s flesh with her to the edge of the cave... Then placed a layer of fur on her arms before moving many of the scalding rocks and placing them all together, outside of the cave, she then placed the piece of meat on top of it, and it started to cook due to the ''rain'' and also the heated rocks. "..." "..." None of the two said a word for a while. When the meat was ready, she brought it beside him. "It is ready..." "..." He still didn''t say anything and continued to focus on cutting the beast''s flesh, he seemed to be opening its stomach. His silence made her bit her lips, ''Is he upset with me?'' she thought they had reached some kind of communication agreement, but suddenly everything seemed to have returned to how it was when they just arrived. "Aren''t you hungry?" She didn''t want to start eating before him, even in this disgusting place they were currently at, she still refused to let go of her manners. "I am... You can eat without me, also there is beast''s fur over there... You can use it to cover yourself" He answered, not turning around. "I will use it later... It is too hot for me to cover." She smiled wryly, appreciating his consideration, and began eating at his permission. Valentine finally managed to cut the beast''s stomach that seemed to be way harder than expected for some reason, and inside he saw what he was looking for... There were three crystals in there... There were black crystals and not only that, there were also several stones like the ones he took from the creature''s brain, except that they were smaller and less shiny. ''What are these things?'' He could recognise the black crystal... When his body tore to pieces, he felt it... That black crystal is inside his palm, right beneath where his tattoo is located. "Did you find anything?" She asked while eating, curious at what new discovery he did. "..." But once again he didn''t answer. "You don''t trust me?" She furrowed her brows and stopped eating, clearly intending to resolve this matter. "...? Do you?" He looked back at her with a frown of his own, clearly, if she trusts him, is because she didn''t learn her lesson. "I trust you... You saved me, twice... no, thrice. I''m not going to backstab you, you clearly are a professional, an elite officer... You should know that one can''t survive without trusting others to a certain extent, I''m willing to trust you, why won''t you trust me?" She placed her cards on the table, they''re in an unknown world and only have each other to rely on, she''s willing to bet. "Why won''t I trust you? For the same reason, you gave your back to that girl... These things are your repayment for helping me deal with that creature, once this rain settles, we''re on our own." He didn''t feel like trusting anyone after what that bastard Quilt did to him. "..." No words came out of Fayette''s mouth, it''s because he''s right... Once again she was trusting someone she shouldn''t? They had only helped each other to survive against that creature, there was no more connection. "I understand..." She answered and continued eating, but then again, she just couldn''t look at him like this, "But you should trust me until we leave this cave... You haven''t slept at all, so you should eat and then sleep... I''ll take care of us, and if something happens I will wake you up straight away." He wanted to deny her, but there is no doubt the mental toll was getting high on him... This had been one of the days he received so much physical punishment in his life... And it is just the flipping first day in this place. Thankfully his daily life back on Earth was like hell, so unless this place is hell itself, it can''t be worse, right? He finished taking whatever resource he could from the beast and even decided to leave all the crystals and stones inside the beast''s stomach before evolving it in a layer of fur... Why? Simply because he didn''t know if after taking those black crystals out, those people would come back to life... And he didn''t need useless people, one Fayette was enough even if she wasn''t a total waste. He ate the cooked meat that she prepared, feeling like he ate something after not having eaten for a month. And then proceeded to lie on the ground, with a knife in his hand, obviously, he wasn''t going to sleep, he was just going to rest. Fayette stared at this and sighed. ... Valentine just lay there with his eyes closed but his ears and senses all alert, he sensed her moving towards him. And then he just opened his eyes with a glare when she picked his head and placed it on her lap... "What are you doing?" His voice sounded cold as if he was ready to plunge his knife in her heart at any moment. All his gaze could see was her big jade chest and pink nipples with her beautiful face sneaking in between with a soft smile, "I''m just making it a little more comfortable for you to sleep." He stared deeply at her, only now noticing how beautiful she is, like... unnaturally so... The most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes were blue and yellow, both colours forming a gradient inside her irises. "... You just suffered one of the worst betrayals ever, and now you''re here trusting a man you barely just met, letting him glance at your naked body... Are you asking me to **** you right here?" "... You wouldn''t do that." She spoke, with confidence much to his surprise and even caressed his raven hair. "You don''t know that." "I know... You could have done it while I was sleeping." "What if I''m some deviant that likes to **** women and see their scared reactions?" "Then I guess I''m done for." She said simply and continued caressing his hair. "Why are you doing this?" He still couldn''t understand, obviously she''s not stupid. "Because I want you to trust me, maybe it''s my womanly instincts, trying to cling on a man for survival... Or maybe I just want to be your friend... As I said, in this world, you''re the only person I can remotely begin to ''trust''." "You''re surprisingly honest." "I have to if I want to break the walls of someone like you... Tell me, who betrayed you for you to grow so traumatized?" She asked with curiosity. "..." He simply evaded her gaze, obviously not feeling like answering, Quilt''s dastardly visage appeared in his mind and his hand started to itch. "It''s okay... If you don''t want to answer, but let me ask you something... It''s very important" Her gaze became somehow stern and he looked at her with raised eyebrows. "...?" "The last memory before you came here... Is it that of your death?" Her gaze pierced his, loosing herself on his silver eyes, looking for a reaction, and she got it. !!! He didn''t answer anything but his reaction told her everything she needed to know. "As expected... I think I know where we are, Valentine..." She showed a dejected expression. "Where?" This time he was interested in her words. "We are in Hell." Chapter 5 - Leaving The Cave II Her words left him somehow awestruck, maybe only a little... He had never been a religious person, his parents never instructed him as a Catholicist or Christian despite his English origin. That didn''t stop him from studying the bible, it was a book that contained an immeasurable amount of wisdom, and even his accursed father together with his beloved mother, impulses him to read it and save its sayings. But he never believed in something like heaven or hell, he thought those were delusions or conclusions taken by those that wrote those books, maybe the way they described something that they themselves couldn''t understand. But if this place is really hell... "I know because... I would surely be sent here after my death, do you agree?" She once again showed a dejected smile. Clearly, she had done things in her life that warranted her a first class ticket here. "...Yes, but why would you reach such a conclusion?" This place could only be hell, the heat, the surreal occurrences, it only made sense if this place is really hell. "It could be a parallel dimension, or another time of the earth, or anything¡­ Even an exo-planet with an atmosphere equal to our earth¡­ But none of them would make sense, why would we come here after dying?" She placed on of her fingers on her lips and mumbled. "You¡­ know a lot¡­" That knowledge wasn''t something that any person would consider straight away, for most, hell is more common than all of these. "What do you mean? That''s common knowledge¡­ Anyway. Even though I know you''re a sinner... I still choose to believe in you, what about you?" Her gaze lowered to stare at him once again. He sighed and thought about her words, he had been betrayed many times and it was always something he was expecting, but quilt wasn''t a boy he saved when he was but a child, he technically taught him everything he knows, he and Rose. His betrayal wasn''t something easy to accept, he treated those two like his younger siblings. ¡­ "What is your sin?" That was his next question, but he didn''t really expect her to answer it honestly. She gave him a weirded gaze, "You should have known my sin, As the French general commander, I abused my authority to overly discipline people that were against me... And to get rid of¡­ Certain people¡­ I committed many sins in my life despite defining myself as a Catholic believer. Even the death of Deputy Salvatore, I had my hands deep in that. " she confessed unashamedly. Her words however, left him thinking. ''Is she famous? Why does she asume I know her sin? I don''t know any deputy Salvatore in France, and if there was a famous Fayette Blanchet in France committig the acs she just described¡­ I''d have slaughtered her before coming here.'' "Sorry but I don''t know you at all¡­" He said neutrally and that seemed to impact hardly on her heart! "Y-You! Are you leaving under a rock or something!? How can you be French and yet don''t know my name?!" !!! "¡­" He stared deeply at her, many conjetures coursing through his brain. "Why do you asume I am French? I have gone to France thrice at most, known French well enough to defend myself but that''s about it, do I appear French to you?" He knew many languages, and French was one of the ones he used the least. !!! Her eyes gaped and she too drew conclusions! "Y-You¡­ Are speaking to me in French right now¡­ Are you?" Her lips shivered slightly, ''H-How could I have missed something like this!?'' It was his turn to open his eyes widely, even removing his head from her lap! "No¡­ I''m not¡­ Do you understand me?" He said once again, this time glaring at her with a piercing gaze. "Yes I do!" She exclaimed. !!! Realisation dawned upon his eyes, ''What the hell is going on in this world!?'' He touched his neck trying to see if he had some device or anything he hadn''t noticed before! "I''m speaking to you in Mandarin, something is making us¡­ Understand one another despite speaking different languages." He rationalised. "That''s¡­ Ridiculous, how can such a thing happen without we even noticing? I imagined you were French, since I hear you speak it as if you have lived in France your whole life." "Me too, I imagined you were French with English parents or something, anyway¡­ We have to make sure everything is in order¡­" He said with a hand on his forehead and she nodded. "Okay, just to confirm. My name is Fayette Blanchet and I''m from Toulouse, France, it''s currently 4th of April, 2355 and we-" She began but wasn''t able to finish as Valentine grasped her shoulders tightly! "Wait, WHAT!?" "Huh?" "Year 2355 you said?!" "Y-Yes¡­ D-Don''t tell me¡­ That''s not your case?!" Her lips started to shiver again, ''You can''t be serious, we fell from this sky the same day!'' "I''m from year 2020" He began, regaining his calm and releasing her shoulders. !!! "Oh my god¡­" "I think this is enough information for today¡­" He sighed, not understanding what the hell is going on, but also not in a rush to know either. He gave her a slight glare and moved aside, a little far from her before once again laying himself back on the floor. Fayette''s response was to lift her eyebrows, but she didn''t say anything else, only taking her knife and hugging her legs against her chest, staring at the exit intending to guard the two of them against any threat. Her mind deep in thoughts. ''Year 2020¡­ Valentine Wagner, could it be¡­'' *** At some point she finally managed to turn her head towards his figure, she stared at his chest, giving slow and deep breaths. ''He''s sleeping¡­'' As swift as a leaf she stood up without making the slightest sound and walked up to him. ¡­ Holding the sharp nice in her hand, she stared at his sleeping figure with complication. ''You''re the Bringer of Euthanasia, there is no doubt about it!'' That year, that name, this appearance, him being English, that coldness to sacrifice whoever he has to, and most importantly, those skills¡­ It has to be him! Her primarily instinct, it''s to kill this monster! But¡­ He saved her, and so far he hasn''t shown to be the disgraceful monster he was described as through the years, history always said one thing, but she knew better, higher ups always know, the winners alter history to their own benefit. She lifted her knife, preparing to stab¡­ But deep inside, she didn''t want to. ''You''re responsible for more than a million deaths, direct or indirect¡­ That''s what''s recorded, but¡­ Is that really you?'' Hadn''t he saved her life thrice, no doubt she would have plunged that knife in his heart until he moved no more, if that would even kill him that is. With reluctance and bewilderment she lowered her knife and moved back to her spot. She needed time to make a proper judgement, right now they''re on the same ground and only had each other. ''I''ll see for myself who you really are.'' She prepared to guard once again, hugging her legs. But unbeknownst to her, Valentine''s eye opened briefly before closing again. *** "Valentine, wake up¡­ The rain stopped!" His silver eyes opened slowly, what greeted him was her pretty face and chest, this time covered with fur. ''I must have been sleeping like a log¡­'' She moved him up to her lap again and he didn''t even notice. It mattered not, this was an experiment¡­ If she really did nothing to him, he would deem her as someone trustworthy, at least for now. He lifted himself from her lap as if he had never slept, and stared at the clear entrance of the cave. "It is not raining anymore, it stopped a few minutes ago, that black cloud didn''t disappear¡­ It just moved away. The floor must still be scalding hot." She updated him and the two of them stood up. He also used some fur to cover his crotch, everything in front of her, she didn''t show any reaction. "What should we do next?" She asked, holding two knives in each of her hands. "What do you suggest?" He retorted, still staring at the entrance. "I suggest¡­ That we chart the territory and leave a way for us to come back here if necessary¡­ Our priority should be¡­ To meet people, maybe people that have been here for longer than us." "We should also leave all our stuff here and somehow cover the entrance¡­ I don''t know why but, I think those stones are valuable in a way, while I was inspecting them I had the sudden urge to eat them." Her gaze changed to one of disgust when she recalled where those things came from originally. ¡­ "We are going to spend the next days charging the territory, follow the air currents to search for the nearest mountain if possible, once we find a better place to settle¡­ We move." "What about our things?" She inquired, liking his plan. "We will leave them at the deepest end of the cave, cover them with dirt or hide them underground, if we come back and there are people here, we will see what we do by that time." He picked two knives too and prepared to set off. "If they''re in the way, we can just kill them." She said with a frosty glare. "Oh?" He lifted his eyebrows at her sudden coldness. "What? Do you think I''m a saint? I''m not foreign to killing innocents, sadly¡­ If this is hell, we can assume no one that came here is a good person¡­ Rather to risk it to befriend a betrayer, I''d rather just stay with you that I know at the very least won''t backstab me¡­ You could kill me frontally if you wanted." "You''re quite more talkative than the first time I saw you¡­" The two left the cave in tow and frowned the moment they stepped on the hot soil. The two grunted in pain and retreated back to the cave, it''s like walking on lava! "Shit¡­ Ugh! What do you expect? You were also showing all of us a mask before¡­ It''s the most common elite practice to show the most cold and dangerous appearance in front of strangers, had I behaved like that bitch, they''d probably **** and kill the two of us at the first moment." "¡­" "Are we going to¡­ Walk out there like this or wait until it cools a little?" She inquired, not really up for it, but if he decides to go, she will follow. "There is no time to lose¡­ Take some of that fur and wrap it around your foot, let''s just see how far can we reach with this much." He held his ground, not truly scared, not after grabbing a scalding hot rock with his bare hands. She rolled her eyes and the two covered their legs with the fur, they didn''t have much left, planning to use it to make bags and carry some goods. When the two were ready, they inhaled deeply. "Where to?" She prepared for the pain. "My twelve o''clock!" He yelled and the two of them started to run through the scalding hot soil! ¡­ For the first few steps everything was alright, but a few seconds afterwards, the heat started to deep through! He kept running resisting the pain, seeing nothing but burned trees around, no people, no animals! "AHHH!!!" He heard Fayette yell in pain behind him and turned around only to see her fall on the scalding soil! ''Shit¡­'' He contemplated¡­ Right now¡­ It''s the best time to leave her. ''She''s not strong enough, leave her and run, you''re better on solo!'' The rational side of brain spoke louder like always. But there was also that other side, faint, yet existent¡­ ''Help her, you have no one else in this accursed land, when you fall, who is going to pull you up!?'' ''Fuck¡­'' He stared at Fayette who was still screaming, trying to stand up, but to stand up she had to touched the ground. Whatever decision he took, there is no time, he ran as fast as possible, the cave was still visible in the distance. Picking her up In his arms, he yelled, get on my back! Fayette heed even as he ran, and moved to a more comfortable position on his back, still hissing at her burned body! When he finally reached the cave, he fell face first inside and she quickly pulled him inside! "UGHH!! AHHH!!" He hissed at the comfort of not feeling that burning pain on his legs, she took out the fur only to see it technically fuse with his skin. Writing her teeth, she crawled to another pack of fur they left and placed it on his burned legs. ''This dammed place, it''s really hell!!'' How she wished to have water right now, but there wasn''t any, the thirst is increasing but there is nothing to sate it! Even to clean their wounds they didn''t have water. She fell beside his hissing body, still feeling pained herself but a lot better than him. ''Dammit, he saved me again¡­'' She bit her lips and stared at his hissing form. She managed to regard his visage before¡­ He had been contemplating, whether to leave her there¡­ She knew. "UGH!!" After a few minutes the pain started to dissipate as the regeneration triggered, he still doesn''t know how it works, but wounds don''t regenerate straight away, they take some time before they start¡­ "Valentine¡­" "¡­?" "Do you think, we will make it? T-This place, haha¡­ It''s hell." She laughed but it was clear she was in a period of contemplation. Just walking a few metres away from this cave, had caused them so many heavy losses¡­ Can one even live in this place?! "Do we have any other option¡­? I don''t know you, but I don''t fell like dying before exploring this place enough." He stated and struggled to sit, she saw this and helped him. Many faces roamed across his visage, some with dear memories, some generated blood feuds and itch in his hand. If this place is really hell¡­ Can they even live here normally? The odds were minimal, someone from the future was with him right now, does that mean that ''they'' could have already passed by here? Or they''re yet to come. "¡­ I''ll follow you, whenever you go¡­ I don''t have anything else to do." She rubbed her legs in pain and said seriously. ¡­ "You don''t have any enmity against anyone?" He asked as the chance to take revenge was the only thing that truly motivated him to walk on this heaven forsaken land. "I don''t¡­ I already erased all of my enemies before coming here." She stated, a little proudly. "How did you die then?" He wondered. "Lungs cancer¡­" She scratched her head and said simply, "It might not have been as interesting as you expected¡­ I smoke a lot, and well, paid for it." "¡­" "I died at my forties¡­ Married and divorced so I don''t really care about that bastard¡­ I had a son and a daughter¡­ I don''t think¡­ They''re here." "¡­" "My mother died way before and I never met my father¡­ She might have come here at some point¡­ I''m not interested in meeting her, but¡­" "¡­?" Her gaze turned cold and a crazed smile protruded on her face, "There are a bunch of bastards that surely came here after I erased them and their families from that world¡­ If I can get to kill those cunts again¡­ I''d consider this trip worth it." Her waist, the place where her tattoo was, itched and she scratched it unconsciously. He lifted his eyebrows at her words, naturally, she must have such people if she even came here in the first place. "What about you, Bringer of Euthanasia¡­ Do you seek something?~" She said and awaited his reaction only to frown when he remained neutral, as if he had been expecting this. ¡­ "You''re not¡­ surprised that I know?" she scratched her silky but dirty hair. "I have several people I''d like to strangle to death." "¡­" "If you were not smart enough to deduce that on your own, I would have left you in that forest, but still¡­ I guess that means my fame transcends the years¡­ what do they say about me?" He rolled his eyes and lied against a rock, awaiting the load of crap that was about to fall on him. She smirked and lied against the rock together with him, "More infame than fame¡­ Let''s see, if I were to summarise it, I''d say¡­ That you''re the most infamous homosexual being in history~ Moreover, you''re somehow related to Adolf Hitler, he was your mother''s great grandfather or something like that?" ¡­ "What¡­ the¡­ fuck¡­?" Chapter 6 - A Cruel Joke Of Fate It took the grinning Fayette several minutes to recall his ''legend''. By the end of it, there was only one thought in his mind. ''MAGNUS! If I ever see your sorry ass here! KILL YOU IS THE LAST THING I WILL DO!'' "Hehe¡­ History said you fucked as many men as you killed~ No wonder you can see my body and not react." She grinned and turned her head to the size in mock ''sadness'', by now she was aware that everything is fake¡­ but still, there wouldn''t be a better chance to tease the ''Bringer of Euthanasia'' than now. "Please, stop¡­" That was all he could say as his head hung down, he wondered if those stories were the truth of she was just taking the piss, he truly couldn''t imagine his father to be so merciless. Brain cells, dignity, everything is being lost. ¡­ "Don''t you want to know about your father?" She inquired next after having laughed enough to lighten the mood. "¡­ No, he probably died happily of old age after remarrying some noble slut, had many other sons that sucked his balls to the tee unlike my sister and me." "¡­ Well, he did start a relationship again with a noblewoman, Ashleigh Selhurst if I remember correctly¡­ But never married again or have children that I know¡­ He died of old age, considered a hero." As expected, but it didn''t matter, if this is hell, that bastard no doubt came here is going to come here at one point, he''s happy as long as he knows the bastard suffered here. If he died of old age, that means he had a hard time. "Hmph! Hero!?¡­ He was one of the biggest money launderers and creator of fiscal paradises around the world¡­ The amount of people he killed in the background¡­ hero they say, preposterous." Anger seeped through but disappeared right after. There will be time for that later. ... Except for giving him a resigned glare, Fayette said nothing else about that topic. She''s gaining a soft spot for this man, the circumstances were horrible to say the least, during her period in the army, she got conditioned to survive in extreme circumstances¡­ but to call this world extreme? It''s an understatement. She felt overjoyed with the fact that she managed to meet someone this dependable so soon, although a part of her was still in guard, her biggest part thought that maybe the two of them could thrive and not live a pitiful existence in this place. Another part of her couldn''t help but wonder about the rumours of his existence back in her time. ''He''s truly not what they portrayed, does that mean that Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong and Stalin could have been good people?'' She wondered with intrigue. Could history truly be believed? If so, to what extent? She wondered, what rumours would there be about her in a farther future? She hadn''t been a good person, the amount of people she saved, there were not that many. *** Valentine stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave, touching the ground only to realise it was still too hot, thankfully, there were no black clouds in the distance and a clear red sky covered this world together with the three hanging yellow moons, for some reason, they looked way darker than before. Not a single person has come here for a while now, it made him wonder how likely is that people fall close to the same area. The two had heated another chunk of beast''s flesh, aware that it wouldn''t last long and soon they would have to look for more. *** "Do you want to look deeper inside the cave to see if we can find water? Maybe this is some complex that goes underground, we have more odds of finding water there than outside." She stood up as well and analysed, truly thirsty beyond measure. "Whatever water there was outside must have more than evaporated with that heat¡­" She continued and walked a little deeper inside, waiting for him to follow. Her injures were already healed, but he looked like he needed a few more minutes. Valentine nodded in acknowledgement, indeed, it was also better to know what lay inside this cave. ¡­ The two walked inside, noticing how it grew gradually cooler the deeper they entered, but sadly¡­ They reached a dead end, there was absolutely no light and by now they held each other''s hands and touched the wall to guide each other, they knew there were no beasts as they would have come out long ago due to the flesh''s smell. But except for remains of bones they walked on, there was nothing else. "Damn¡­ The floor is cooler than outside, but there is no water, so you think if we dig¡­ There will be some?" She inquired, it was a common practice, but she didn''t feel confidence due to the continuous heat. "Let''s try." ¡­ Nothing. They used the sharp knives to dig a hole at least a metre deep, after that there was simply rock, but except for minor humidity, there was nothing else, clearly, they were nowhere near a coast or a river. The situation looked grim. "Let''s go back, someone might have come by now." ¡­ They couldn''t notice due to the lack of light, that engraved in the stony wall there were mysterious symbols. Symbols of a language none of the two know, but an old language that originated from the Earth. Long lost in history. ''Follow the flames'' *** No one came into the cave. "It''s like we''re by ourselves¡­ was it a coincidence that five of us reunited in this place before?" She asked again, this time with a worried gaze. What would they do after the food ran out? "The ground is a little more tolerable. There are no black clouds, also, no sign of nighttime." He was thirsty as hell as well, but aside from drinking his own piss, he had no idea what to do, they either found water or died of thirst. Ah yes, they can''t die¡­ If they can''t die after falling from unprecedented heights, he doesn''t believe they can die of hunger or thirst, but the feeling is still there, tormenting¡­ He also didn''t feel like pissing, maybe due to the fact that they hadn''t drunk anything, here or before coming here¡­ "I''m very thirsty, Valentine¡­ This heat has been impacting us all way around for three days now." Fayette complained, it''s probably hotter than the Sahara. "There is nothing we can do, there might be some luck out there." Valentine somehow felt an ominous atmosphere form slowly. ... "I¡­ feel like I want to piss¡­" she stared at him deeply and managed to say between a stutter and a whisper. "¡­ How?" They haven''t drink anything and every liquid their bodies have should have been used for hydration. "I think our bodies came here almost the same way we died¡­ I was on a hospital bed, consuming a lot of liquids¡­ what about you?" "¡­ I didn''t have a meal for several days." He had been hunting that bastard Clarence and hiding from the UK''s authorities, after all, everyone thought he was in Afghanistan, therefore he couldn''t appear publicly, not even in a supermarket. Therefore, he didn''t risk it and didn''t eat, maybe just drinking some water every so often, but he knew that his bladder was empty. "I see, then¡­ we¡­ can drink it¡­" Fayette''s voice turned more and more into a mosquito as she spoke, her dry throat speaking for her instead. ... "¡­ Hell no! Drink your own piss!" He gave her a disgusted gaze, drinking your own piss to survive¡­ that''s reasonable for him, but someone else''s!? She snorted and crossed her arms underneath her fur covered big chest, "I need your help! How the hell do you expect me to do it? I''m not a contortionist!" The image of her somehow bending to drink her own piss¡­ Not only was it painful but also weird. "Then what do you suggest!? If push comes to shove, piss on my hands and then drink from it." He stated his limits. "But if we do that¡­ A lot of that will be spilt, I don''t know if I have more in me!" She bit her lips, a slight blush creeping on her face, dammit she didn''t want to do this but the thirst was killing her, just a bit¡­ until they found water! "Jesus Christ..." He caressed his forehead. "I''ll piss directly on your mouth¡­ drink some of it and leave me the rest." She suggested and started to untie her improvised skirt. "Fucking hell¡­" He couldn''t believe this. "Yes, fuck it!" She threw the fur aside, now only with a piece covering her breast, her crotch totally exposed for him to see. "Are we really considering this? We can still just test our luck out there!" It''s not that he didn''t want to do it, but the fact that he couldn''t believe they reached this low! "Are you a man or not!? Could it be that the rumours are true?!" She mocked, shamed enough by exposing herself, more so knowing what they were about to do! Rolling his eyes he exhaled a last breath of resignation, "How are we doing this?" There were only two ways of doing this... "J-Just lay on your back, open your mouth and close your eyes..." She stuttered and waited for him to get in position. ''Oh God, why?'' He wasn''t a Christian, but since this is hell and God''s existence is confirmed, at least he can complain! He wanted to reject, but she was right in some regard, if they didn''t do it now, then she might not have any more later, and they needed to leave and find something to drink and possibly a better place to hide, without the right amount of energy they might collapse outside and it could be fatal. Therefore, he lay on his back, opened his mouth and closed his eyes, awaiting the undesirable. This situation¡­ it wasn''t erotic at all. He hadn''t ever done this with any of his lovers, ever. Fayette gulped a mouthful in nervousness. She gave the cave''s entrance a brief glare. What if someone entered the cave just at this moment!? She couldn''t even imagine the embarrassment, ''Sigh I''d have to slaughter people again.'' With the thirst thinking for her, she walked up to him before placing her pair of slender legs in either side of his face, exhaled deeply and squatted down, placing her vagina on top of his mouth... She bit his lips and tried to move, ''aiming'' for the right spot, and pressing her mound to try and hasten the whole accursed procedure. She growled when seeing his half-opened mouth! "O-Open bigger! I don''t have a penis like you, can''t aim that well!" She yelled almost in outrage, she truly didn''t want a single drop of her liquids to go to waste. "Oh for God''s sake!" He complained but still did as requested, opening his mouth bigger! ... Fayette saw the chance and stared up to the cave''s ceiling, not wanting to see his face, but then again, if she didn''t see his face, she wouldn''t be sure that she unloaded in the right place! ''Damn it!'' With a blush as deep as a volcano''s epicentre, she stared down at his face, happy that he did as he promised and kept his eyes closed. Even if she didn''t mind other men seeing her body to some extent due to being in the military, that didn''t mean she wanted him to see such a shameful visage of hers! ... For the next several seconds, nothing happened... Valentine knew her vagina was in front of him, all due to his senses and also the musky scent that stank a little, obviously due to her no washing herself ever since they came to ''Hell''. Still, nothing came out... "This is already awkward enough you know?!" "Oh shut up! I always take some time before I can do it!" ''This has to be a joke, a very cruel joke!'' He grit his teeth, not believing the situation he got himself in! "Umn~ Open your mouth! what are you closing it for!? is coming out now!" He hurriedly opened his mouth big! "Uhm~" He heard Fayette moan slightly and the next second a scarce stream of very hot and salty liquid started to fall on his mouth! !!! As if all the thirstiness in the world activated right at that moment, he had the impulse to swallow it right away! A liquid, finally a liquid! Still, he restrained himself, and rightfully so. After mere three seconds... The flow stopped. ... ''Is this all!?'' Are you for real!? His mouth wasn''t even full, there is no way this is going to do anything to the two of them! Fayette stared at him and moved aside, she also realised this... "Sorry... I thought it would be more." For the two of them, this really is not impactful at all, maybe to fool the brain but nothing else... He caressed his forehead and stood up and before she could say anything he kissed her. !!! His tongue moved and the liquid flowed from his mouth to hers, he didn''t swallow a single drop. After he finished, he released the blushed Fayette''s lips and stood up. "Let''s go... We don''t want any of those black clouds to come close." Valentine stated taking back his knife. She touched her quivering and salty lips for a few seconds and stood up next, she knows he didn''t drink any... Putting her skirt back on, she walked up to him with determination, ''I''m going to help you no matter what!'' Chapter 7 - A Life Well Lived In a forest burned to the crisp, so eerie it could be confused with a horror movie, a pair of individuals made their way through the burned ground and ashy atmosphere, placing marks in every tree that would lead them back to their cave. Seven days had passed and things haven''t improved at all. They had eaten rotten food and hadn''t managed to find a single animal or human. This produced in them stomachaches and migraine. The duo didn''t have anything to drink, not a single drop of water could be found, even after digging and digging, they hadn''t found a single place with humidity enough to match that dry cave. Today the pair took two bags made of fur, one with the little rotten flesh they had, the other with the stones. Valentine and Fayette took a difficult decision, to leave that cave for good and adventure in a straight line, if they kept coming back to that cave, they would never reach anywhere, this might be the last chance, after this, they might not have any energy at all. What would happen then? They didn''t know, but refused to relent. It had been several hours and they reached the farthest from the cave they had ever reached, Valentine would always climb above the tallest tree just to see if there was any black cloud nearby... He thought they should be able to survive day and night as long as they avoided those dark clouds, even if they slept outside, it didn''t matter... There were no humans, no animals... Surely when they appear there won''t be that many. They would rotate their guarding turns and sleep periodically, then continue regardless of whether it be day or night. Mostly hoping to hunt beasts that that hunted at night but without any luck. *** While they walked after so long, he turned back to look at her, she was tired, very tired and her complexion was haggard. "Let''s rest..." He stated but she shook her head. "N-No... Let''s continue... We can rest at night, Valentine, if we don''t find anything soon..." She said with worry and a lot of anxiety, staring at him with concern, not only for her but also for him... Ever since they arrived here, he had put her as his priority at every exchange, having to beg him to eat, most of the remains of that beast were eaten by her out of concern. She knew they wouldn''t die of hunger or thirst, but it would surely deteriorate their mental health and at that point, would they even survive if they met any danger? "I know... come." He crouched down, intending for her to get on his back but she shook her head. "No, I don''t... need... Valentine, stop treating me like a doll, we are... a team." She gave him a slight glare, delighted at his concern but still, she didn''t want to be treated with preference. Valentine sighed, "Fool, I''m not treating you like a doll... If we meet danger and we''re both too tired... Who is going to protect us?" "I''m giving my back... to you." he threw her a deep glare that she understood. ''I''m trusting in you... to save me if the time ever comes when I can''t defend us.'' She bit her lips, understanding the meaning of his words. "I understand but still, I refuse, let''s just walk together, please." She took his hand and started to walk instead of run, maybe slowing the pace a little would help. He accepted reluctantly. ... For the next several days, the situation only became worse... they walked and walked... but there were nothing but burned trees as if they were walking in circles. The food they got from the creature had finished two days ago, it made them feel like vomiting and the symptoms started, but they were relentless, they never stopped walking. There must be something, there must surely be something else other than just burned trees and fire! Fayette noticed Valentine''s steps were slow and measured, ''He''s out of energy, but he''s not saying anything...'' He had eaten less than a quarter of what she had. "Valentine, I know we will make it..." She said, trying to muster a smile as she led the way. Valentine simply nodded, the hunger was simply too much, he noticed that his body hadn''t changed of complexion, which meant the hunger was not affecting their bodies, but instead their minds. ¡­ The night of that day, the moons dimmed as usual and the place darkened. "Let''s rest, I can sense something Valentine! Have you noticed, the trees aren''t as burned as they always are! Clearly, this is a place where that accursed rain doesn''t fall too often!" She exclaimed with renewed energy, for days they have walked, but finally, there was a change! Her enthusiasm wasn''t shared as Valentine simply lay against a tree, "I''ll guard, you should sleep." "..." She gazed at him, his body wasn''t different, still as handsome as ever, only dirty due to the strain just like her. Fayette could see he''s struggling to keep up, all because he prioritized her. She moved up to him and sat on the ground, patting her lap for him to lie on. "Here... Sleep, I''ll guard you this time, it''s my turn." She spoke in a tone that left no way for negotiation. He sighed and did as she said, it hadn''t eaten or drunk anything in several days, that in itself wasn''t weird, he had gone without eating for longer. The problem is this environment''s taxing nature, it simply costs too much to live here... the heat, the effort, they had run for so long, walked for so long and yet nothing... he''d rather be in the middle of the Amazon forest than here, at least there he knew that he could just grab a snake and eat it... But here. He''s more than convinced that this must be hell, were it not for the presence of oxigen, he''d believe that this is some kind of desolate planet! For such a long distance, not a single living being? Could it be that those acid rains managed to decimate life to the point it was simply scarce in this forest? That was the most optimistic hypothesis. The dystopic one is... That this forest is simply bigger than anything he can possibly imagine, to the point the density of living things per square metre is ridiculously low. If this was the case... How long will it take to leave? Is there even an exit? Are they going in the right direction? So many thoughts flooded his mind, stealing his rationality. "UHHGGG!!" His thoughts were interrupted by Fayette''s sudden shouts of pain! "What''s wrong!!?" He opened his eyes with a headstart, he was still on her lap so what could have possibly happened!? What he saw, was her cutting a chunk of her flesh with the knife! "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" He asked and stood up frantically! She didn''t pay attention to him, instead, his awareness made her act faster! "UGH!" With a sharp grunt, she successfully took a considerably big piece of flesh out of her arm, her blood feel everywhere but she didn''t pay attention to it. With a pale gaze, she presented the flesh to him, trying to smile despite the horrendous pain and the blood oozing from her big wound. "Please, eat..." "ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY!?" He couldn''t believe it, they had really reached this extent! He checked her wound, forsaking the piece of flesh she was so eagerly presenting him as if an offering. "Please eat it, you... need it." She tried to tolerate the pain, her whole hand was shivering and she fell on her back, not unconscious but breathing heavily, trying to take the pain! "What have you done!?" He yelled with sadness, but there wasn''t really anything he could do except just wait for her to regenerate, still... Cannibalism, really!? "It will... regenerate... please eat." Those were her words, she stared at him with pleading, pleading for him to eat, "If you don''t... it will be worse." "Damn it!" He took the piece of flesh that still held her skin, it was a part of her forearm, and even the bone could be seen from her arm, not yet regenerating. With a lot of reluctance... He took a bite. !!! He resisted himself from vomiting, this had been more disgusting than eating that bear''s rotten flesh! Still, he diligently ate that raw and bloody flesh as fast as possible, knowing that it would probably cause him minor stomachache, but still, it would soothe the painful hunger that he felt right at this moment. She saw that he finally ate her flesh and sighed in relief, leaning against him ''As long... as you''re okay...'' Unbeknownst to her and Valentine, a flash of light emanated through her eyes before they closed, engulfing her in her sleep. *** Fayette opened her eyes and stared at the metallic ceiling. "Mother, are you alright?" She heard a voice, a delicate sound like the breeze of spring. "Danielle¡­" Her voice resounded next, but she didn''t sit up. Pain rocked her chest in waves and she felt herself incapable of moving, long tubes went right inside her nose, straight to her decayed lungs. "Mother, how are you feeling? Forest hasn''t come by for so long, Hmph! I''ll draw him here!" The woman''s delicate voice resonated again, sounding more playful than angry, maybe to fool her conscience into believing this was a funny environment. "¡­" No words came out of Fayette''s mouth, her chest hurt and she struggled to breathe, just like she had for so many years. She couldn''t see her daughter''s expression, but the woman surely isn''t happy. "Mother¡­ I just received a communication from Dr Maxwell, I just¡­ *sob* I just wanted to tell you." The woman''s voice, her daughter''s it appeared more like sobs and husky wails than words at this point. Staring up to the ceiling, she managed to catch a glimpse of a glassy figure, blonde and beautiful just like her in her prime, but without scars, physical, or mental¡­ she made sure of that. "¡­" "He said, that you have three weeks left, the chemo¡­ Isn''t working *sob* your condition is not improving." Her daughters sobs continued, and she felt a hand grasp hers, caress her head that was no longer silky, not after so much hair loss. Not a surprise, she didn''t need the doctor''s words, she felt it in her body. "Don''t¡­ cry." She was ready for this, it was actually relieving¡­ three weeks, a confirmation, no more reluctance, or uncertainty. No more ''keep working hard and maybe, you will live.'' Her daughter''s sobs continued growing into plain tearing and despaired howls. "Danielle¡­ I¡­ love you and your brother¡­ too¡­ he might be stupid but¡­ he''s not¡­ a bad person¡­ take care of¡­ him¡­ he''s always¡­ working too hard." With half of her remaining strength, she uttered, feeling the lack of oxigen despite the device being connected straight to her dying lungs. Each breath, harder than the last. "MOTHER! I LOVE YOU TOO! SORRY THAT I CAN''T DO ANYTHING ELSE! I WILL! I WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT FOOL!" The last thing she felt of her daughter, was her warm hand caressing her head. "Good¡­ now¡­ go¡­ don''t make your husband¡­. wait for you, come visit me¡­ tomorrow¡­. I want to¡­ sleep, at least. Give little Eddie¡­. A kiss¡­ In my regard¡­ l-love you *sob* dear." Tears rolled down Fayette''s eyes as she moved her head briefly, making her daughter the center of her gaze. Her daughter she was so proud of, unlike her who had to struggle through the bureaucratic ladder in the army, selling her soul, dignity, purity and mind¡­ All for the sake of escaping the fate her mother had in stake for her, one where she was but a puppet belonging to a bastard, a piece in a game. Her daughter turned to be a very smart and independent woman that studied a career in biomechanics and became a notorious individual in France, she married the man she loved, gave her a precious grandson and lived merrily. All she ever wanted for herself when she was young and uncaring. That was until she fell with lungs cancer, since then she had been her daughter''s source of stress, sadness and tears. Even now her daughter her daughter is pregnant with another child, this stress is not good for their health. ''I can''t allow you to¡­ keep suffering for my mistakes, dear¡­ I''m sorry.'' Her son, Forest wasn''t much different, but her poor son wasn''t so lucky, he had to work harder for his dreams, and every woman he met disappointed him, all she wanted was to say her farewells to him too¡­ But she knows he despises her. ¡­ "O-Okay mother¡­ I''ll bring Eddie next time." Her daughter gave her a kiss on her cheek, the last one, and left the room. *THUD* She didn''t manage to see her daughter''s back when she left. "¡­" Fayette stared at the ceiling, it had been such a long life. "No need to wait¡­ for three weeks." Weakly grasping the tubes that had many joints going straight to her lungs, she pulled them hard enough until she disconnected them. And then¡­ She just left time and her lungs, to do the rest. ¡­ ''I have committed so many mistakes in this life, killed so many innocents¡­ my c-children *cough* I would get my hands dirty for you¡­ a-any¡­ time.'' *** Her eyes opened again, this time in the middle of a burned forest, the warm feeling of a hand caressing her silky but dirty golden hair. Her hazy eyes opened and stared at the man that accompanied her through this painful but otherwise, thrilling adventure. Fluttery feelings arose in her hearth as her heterochromatic eyes glanced at his silver ones that moved around, seeking any possible threat. Fluttery feelings she could recognise, way more intense¡­ than ever before. Way more pure, outrageously delightful. But she bit her lips, suppressing her smile, suppressing that foolish gaze so characteristic of women with this ailment. ''Not yet¡­'' ¡­ "Valentine..." "...?" The two waited for the night to pass, still not the slightest wisp of people or threats... He lay against a tree and she lay against his shoulder, the two stared at the three moons, not really in the mood to sleep. "Why do you take care of me so? We just met each other not too long ago." She asked, giving him a sidelong glance as if fishing for something... at some point, her arm finished regenerating. "... You said it yourself before, we are a team..." He rolled his eyes, aware of her intentions, a lot more clear-minded, even if just temporarily, at least he managed to fool his brain and his stomach wasn''t rumbling. "Is that so? Are you sure it is not because you have a crush on me?" She asked, it sounded like a joke... and she certainly employed the tonality that would make anyone think it was, but it wasn''t. "And what if I do? we are in no circumstances good enough for something like that..." He stated matter of factly, and she nodded reluctantly, wanting to continue this topic. Wanting to unravel her companion''s feelings, to see if they were in the same sync. But he clearly didn''t want to touch upon it. "Indeed..." Fayette ''pouted'' and proceeded to lie against his shoulder, embracing his body tightly happy that the night wasn''t cool, but disregarding the ''need'' to cuddle for warmth. ... "Do you think if you eat a chunk of my flesh, we will be able to make a run tomorrow?" Valentine inquired next, awaiting an outraged response, but it never came... "Maybe..." She said simply, what could she do? They had reached this stage. She wanted to survive... She had realised that she would do anything to survive... with him. Her beautiful eyes opened widely, ''I want to live? Yes¡­ I want.'' ¡­ This place... It''s hell, full-fledged hell without the slightest doubt, it can''t be anything else. Is as if God was merciful enough to give them oxygen, but otherwise there wouldn''t be any oxygen either. And precisely because of that, she couldn''t imagine herself going through this by herself, no matter how strong she is, she would have surely stayed in that cave. Valentine''s mind wasn''t much different, he tried to rationalize and think, where would he be if Fayette hadn''t been accompanying him, he''d argue with himself, once again his two sides, yelling to each other. The rational side would say that they could have reached farther without her, that she''s just dead weight. But the emotional side would say she''s been a very important emotional support for him. And the two of them were right... Be it as it may, he was more than content to stay by her side for the time being. "You had a relationship before, right? Could you tell me about it?" Fayette asked abruptly, stealing him away from his thoughts. "Why all of the sudden?" "I''m just curious... if you want, I can tell you how I was with my ex-husband... I truly only married once in my life, begrudgingly. I spent most of my life training in my military career." "My last relationship... There is not really much to say... Her name was Rose, she was actually a lot younger than me, fifteen years old to be exact..." "Ah?! So she was a minor!?" She yelled as he grabbed his knife, preparing to take out a chunk of his flesh for her. She knows that he''s thirty years old, but didn''t expect that he would get on with a fifteen years old girl! "Could it be that... Do you like them young? Like, really young?" She made it sound like a mock, but her curiosity was authentic, she stared at her mature and developed body, and couldn''t imagine an instance he wouldn''t be turned on by it... Yet ever since they met, he hadn''t shown any reaction... She cupped her big chest in wonder. "Uhg! N-No... I don''t..." He started to cut, restraining his pain. "..." She bit her lips, not liking to see him in pain but there is no option. The first one was an experiment, now they know... They can truly feed on each other, even if just to trick the brain until they find appropriate food. It took several seconds, but he finally presented a nice piece of flesh to her, she didn''t even think, resisted her urge to vomit and ate it whole. ¡­ "... Don''t stop... Tell me more..." Anything to get rid of this sour mood, she cleaned her bloodied mouth against the ground and lay against his shoulder again "I saved her and a friend of hers from a terrorist group in Gaza, she was fourteen years old and her bastard of a friend was seventeen... Initially, I only planed to take down the leader of that terrorist group, but they were two kids sent with bombs in their bodies when I saved them." "... I imagine that ''friend'' betrayed the two of somehow." She could more or less imagine how everything went down from here, but she let him continue. "He did...I joined them to my undercover group, they were very mature for their age and also quite smart..." "The Undefeated... That was your group, right?" A terrorise group that committed heinous acts so dangerous yet so straightforward without even being captured, that they were labelled as the undefeated. It is said they once planted a bomb in a building in London, financial district, Canary Wharf¡­ Well known for its anti-terrorist security measures. The blew a whole J.P Morgan Chase building that hosted a meeting of several of the most powerful people on the world, including South American and North American politicians as well as European Mafia bosses. One of their most aggressive achievements, and the one that placed them in the eye of the world. History however, didn''t portray this even as a nice feat¡­ Thousands of innocents died because of it, and it created a power vacuum that produced even more deaths later on¡­ He nodded, "The rest is as you can imagine, she fell for me and pursued me for a long time... I always rejected her due to her age, until she managed to get me off-guard in a hotel during a mission... And from then on I guess I had to take responsibility" He scratched his head with a smile, not truly regretting having ''taken responsibility''. "... Quite the scheming witch, huh~?" Fayette pursued her lips in surprising annoyance, she could imagine it, him sleeping peacefully just to wake up to an underage beauty jumping on his crotch, taking a full load and smiling cutely as if she just did the best thing in the world. "Yes... After that, we started going out and it lasted until she died... before my death, she was pregnant and didn''t tell me." His mind reminisced about his time with rose and he sighed, at least he knows, she''s not here... She didn''t take a life directly through her whole life, he never allowed her to, and she shouldn''t have committed any sins that he knows. Fayette sighed, feeling sad about the loss of his child. "Do you think she came here?" The question was apparent, ''was she an evil person?'' "I believe she''s in heaven now..." He asserted with joy, just like his mother, Francesca and Romina... They should all be in heaven. "I see, that''s indeed rather simple. In my case I stayed single most of my life, having one night stands here and there in the military... I was born in a noble family and my mother was a very strict person, maybe a lot like your father..." "..." "I enlisted in the military because I wanted to escape, but in the end, I couldn''t... I was asked to marry at the end of the day and had to leave my crush from back then, maybe if I had some more backbone then, I would have married him instead of the trash I married, he insisted that we escaped together, but I had a duty to accomplish, duty was always more important to me... Still, only because ''he'' was the son of the prime minister and whatever, my mother betrothed me to him... That other man, he was the love of my life." She sighed and suddenly felt like smoking even if just out of habit. At least she became strong enough to not be a toy. "Was...?" He knew how she felt, after all, there was such a person in his heart, and he wouldn''t consider it a matter of the past. A figure appeared in his mind, she still is the love of his life, even if they won''t see each other again. "Yes, he was... Now the love of my life is you..." She gave him a serious glance, her perfect and immaculate eyes, all too beautiful. Valentine smiled wryly, "I will give you a 10/10 for the delivery." She confessed just like that. "Thank you~ So yeah, he and I had a daughter named Danielle at first, I didn''t like him but I was determined to accomplish my responsibility as his wife... And that was to give him a son, so we tried again and luckily my son, Forest was born..." "..." "After that our marriage became sour, he started cheating on me and I didn''t care, after all, I wasn''t bedding him anymore, we were just a public appearance, on the back I kept accomplishing my responsibilities, scaling on ranks and getting rid of my rivals... Having romantic affairs here and there, none long lasting¡­ things had changed a lot by that time and genetic modifications were available for those with the money to afford them, that''s how I got these eyes, this hair and this body... Before I was a bombshell, but not like this..." She cupped her big breasts and flashed him a teasing glint. "..." Were she not the most beautiful and hot woman he had ever seen, he would have called her a narcissist, but he wouldn''t deny her charm, she''s a woman men would kill for, how do Chinese say again? ''A woman capable of toppling kingdoms.'' It was "Those modifications also gave me an edge above my peers, sharper senses, better calculation capacity... It is called ''Eugenics'' starting from the 2200s, but those test had a comeback as they weren''t properly developed and tested yet... I developed cancer rather early in my life, it seemed that ''being'' a smoker produced the cell, but the Eugenics just made the disease spread faster." "One day some newspaper published a picture of the bastard fucking some air waitress and our reputation came crashing down. I divorced him, but that wouldn''t be enough to clear my name... Therefore, I cut his members and his balls before killing him, no one knew it was me, but the message was implicit... And since he was the prime minister¡­ You can guess, whatever happened to that bitch, I leave it to your imagination~" She gave him a sharp glare and he could only smile wryly. "What can I say? that''s how I deal with cheaters~" "..." He felt some goosebumps for some reason. "After that, I simply died on my hospital bed after feeling a lot of pain and found myself falling from the sky until my body burst into thousand pieces, met the best man in the world and the rest you already know." She giggled and awaited his reaction, only to be disappointed. "... Good for you, now sleep... We''re going to run a lot tomorrow..." He forcefully placed her head on his lap. "The man is supposed to be the one to confess in these circumstances, you know..." She pouted like a little girl and made him roll his eyes, a woman in her forties at her prime, trying to act like a little girl... "Yes yes, I will once we leave this forest." He showed her a kind smile, one that she had seen for the first time. "Hehe~ You smiled." She extended her hand and caressed his cheek. "I''m not going to die like her, Valentine... We can''t even die, So... You don''t need to treat me... As if I''m her¡­ I''m me, I''m Commander Fayette Blanchet... The one that shall become the pirate king!" She yelled with a toothed grim! "... H-Huh?" His mind seemed to have gone through the biggest dejavu of his life. Wasn''t that, that famous Japanese series that kids watched those days?! How does she know!? "I remember my son and daughter used to see that series a lot, it''s a very long series that dates from your age... Curious¡­ Even after my death it wasn''t yet finished. What was it again? One rule? One line? Hmn~?!" She mumbled to herself, only to realise that her lips got sealed in a searing kiss... It took her a while, but she answered it with equal passion until their lips separated. "... Sleep, Fayette..." He said sternly but also with care, she seemed like she won''t sleep unless he does this. "I''ll give you a 10/10 for delivery... Good night~" She touched her lips and lost herself in between his silver eyes and his lips. A smile crept on her face, and for the first time since she arrived in Hell... She had no nightmares. ''This hell is my paradise, as long as you''re here....'' which of the two thought those words in their minds that night, it was a secret. Chapter 8 - The World Is Our Oister "Fayette, wake up! We have to move!" The beautiful blonde yawned slightly and opened her beautiful yellow and blue eyes. Not having slept so well in a long time. !!! Upon realising Valentine''s frantic shouts she woke up with a heard start, "Is it a threat!?" She took her knife and stood on guard, but failed to see her partner. "Valentine!?" "I''m here, we have to leave, there are black clouds!" He shouted in exasperation and came down from a nearby tree! "Black clouds!? Where!?" She hurriedly picked the single bag of fur that contained the stones and the two started to run! "My nine o''clock, they''re approaching, we have to leave the fastest we can and round them up." He yelled, taking her by her hand, the two had more energy today than yesterday but they still had to rationalise it for at least two days before another ''meal''. Fayette nodded and ran following his lead, they were already regenerated but the mental scar was present¡­ the scar left by eating human''s flesh. ''We have no cave close by, if we''re caught underneath that dammed fire shower, we''re done for!'' Running to the opposite direction of the cloud wasn''t a smart move, the cloud would eventually catch up, the best way to do it was to get out of its way! For the next half an hour they ran and started to divise the cloud in the distance, approaching slowly but sure enough, it was still following them! However, while they were running, something incredible occurred! *GROWLL!!!* *SCREECH!!* !!! Their hearts seemingly stopped upon hearing those noises! That''s¡­ animals?! "V-Valentine, what do we do!?" Fayette yelled with emotion but also concern! Those noises, they''re coming from where the cloud is going to! If they catch up to it¡­ They might not be able to escape the cloud! Valentine furrowed his brows! "I will-" "If you dare suggest I leave you to fight them and run away leaving you marks to follow after¡­ I''m going to kick your balls so hard!" She growled and her sharp glare was undeniable! ¡­ He took a deep breath. "Okay¡­ We''re going to hunt them! As fast as we can!" If they can get something to eat¡­ They will! "Yes!" The two ran towards the source of the growls, and it didn''t take them more than a few minutes to reach, what they found left them awestruck! "W-What the hell¡­" The two stood behind a tree, gaping as the black cloud made itself known in the distance, covering one of the moons! In front of them there were three of what appeared to be wolves and two of what appeared to be wild boars. And they said ''appears to be'' because just as they expected¡­ they''re bigger and more hideous than normal! "W-What do we do? there are too many!" She decided to ignore those monstrosities'' appearance and asserted, thinking of a plan, they could somehow outmanoeuvre them, but what about that black cloud? Their time is limited! "We cannot just leave it, look at that!" He pointed towards somewhere nearby where the two packs were fighting and saw that¡­ There is a small pond of water!" !!! "W-What!? Valentine we!-" "There is no time, the cloud is coming, I''m going to distract them and kill one, I want you to fetch as much as the meat as you can while I lure them away, also drink as much water as you can!" "What about you!?" This bastard he''s putting her on a pedestal again! "Fool, after you''re done, place the bag of fur somewhere and come lure them yourself, then I''ll drink water and we''re fucking gone!" He wouldn''t hold any delusions of killing all those beasts himself, there is no way, even with that knife! "There is no time, NOW!" The atmosphere started to heat up and darken the burning smell entered their nostrils and ashes floated all about, the cloud is near. Taking the two knives he ran in front of the stunned Fayette who got ready to run in the moment he gave the signal, but, even then¡­ She clenched her hand, and without even asking for confirmation, picked two knives herself and ran in! ''I''m your partner!'' She had never been underestimated for her lack of ferociousness, no! ''Today I''m going to show you, that I''m qualified to stand by your side!'' !!! Valentine ran towards one of the boars that was surrounded by two wolves, it had deep wounds and obviously they had been killing each other for a while. The other boar was fighting a wolf in equal grounds, all those beasts were at least two metres high! ''Why are all those damned beasts so big!?'' It mattered not, like a phantom he approached until the wolves realised his presence, but it was too late! He let himself fall towards the boat and slide on the ground, not minding the scratches and wood branches breaking his skin as his body slides underneath the boar! "HAAA!!!" With a vengeance like no other he stabbed his improvised knife inside the boar! *GROOOOWLLL!!!* The beast howled in pain and he was surprised at how easy the knife went through the beast''s skin! With the momentum of his body, he summoned all of his damned strength and slashed the knife! *SLLASSHHH!!!* Like cutting a watermelon, the beast howled once again in despair and fell on top of its budding organs! Marginal amounts of blood spurted on Valentine who then stared back at his work and it was then that his eyes widened when he saw Fayette running towards one of the wolves! "FOOL!! DON''T-" What he saw next stunned him. Like a pro, the woman took advantage of the fact that the wolf was focusing on Valentine, her steps touched the ground like leaves falling on water, without any noise at all! *BANG!* When she was close enough she jumped in a pirouette that lifted her a lot higher than the wolf''s body with rotating motion! Turned and with the momentum of her body moving on the air, swiftly cut the wolf''s head! *SLASH!!!* *GROWLLL!!!* A massive cut appeared on the wolf''s neck and blood spewed eveywhere! Fayette landed gracefully and her glare stared straight at him, no words were necessary! A maniacal smile resurfaced in his face and his eyes stared at Fayette with a new light! He didn''t run and scream to attract the wolves no¡­ He ran back towards the wolf that was now catching after him! Meanwhile, Fayette smiled and glanced at the wounded wolf, analysing the field. One boar is down, twitching and dying, it won''t stand up soon, but they have to make sure to finish it off. Another boar fighting the wolf, too busy to pay attention to them. The other wolf howled in pain but also anger! It lounged towards Fayette with its sharp claws, they were sharper than that creature in the cave! She ran head first against the wolf as it jumped! Her eyes seemed to shine as her enhanced genetics analysed every movement of the beast. Once again her legs seemed to dance, three steps she took in this maddened sonata, with the first got in position, with the second she evaded the ravenous claw, and with the third cut the beast''s waist! *FIIUSHH!!* *HUUUUUU!!!* The wolf fell on the floor helplessly, but Fayette didn''t stop, she stared at her partner only to see him piercing his knife on the wolf''s skull! ''These knives are so efficient!'' She thought, were it not for those knives they wouldn''t have a chance! "Fayette!" "Understood!" She ran towards the fallen boar that intended to stand up again to keep fighting, and without letting it rest, she cut its neck! Valentine made a quick run, he finished the second wolf by cutting its brain where the shining stone was and saw that the big boar had killed the second wolf and was starting to eat it! He took advantage of that to finish off the wolf that Fayette left badly wounded while the woman in question cut the boar''s flesh and took whatever she could, he stared to the horizon. The black cloud would be upon them in half an hour at most! Is half an hour enough to round it!? This was in Fayette''s mind as well, the woman cut as fast as she could, taking the best flesh and the fur and placing it in her bag, when she filled two and when she thought it was enough, she ran to the small water pond! Valentine didn''t think of facing the large boar unless it took the initiative to attack them, it didn''t make any sense, but he took the wolves'' stones and several of their claws before walking to the pond where Fayette was drinking to her fill. The two drank like maniacs! "Fuaaaa!!! So Good!!" The woman even splashed water on her body and he followed the moment they drank to their fill. At least they managed to have a slight ''wash''! The two covered themselves in a moistened layer against the heat while Fayette focused mostly on her silky hair and crotch! ''Women¡­'' *GROWLLL!!!* The boar approached after finishing its meal, intending to have a drink! "All yours fella, let''s go!" Valentine, now in a better mood after a good looting, took his partner''s hand and they ran off! "There is not much time, it''s going to be on us in a few minutes, run as fast as you can!" He yelled and the happy woman nodded. Fucking hell, she never felt so happy for having a ''shower''! The smell of burning wood made itself known and the temperature increased once again, they could smell the smoke already and the light through the layers of burned trees! "Shit, come!" Valentine changed the angle of their sprint, now running away but also around the cloud!" *FIUSHH!!* Fayette moved her gaze to the side where the burning trees were staring to be seen! Run, run!! Valentine kept running with Fayette behind him. They ran and ran but eventually, the damned fireballs started to fall on them! "UGH!!" "AHHHH!!!" The yells of pain started but they could see the light, a big section of the forest in front of them wasn''t in fire, that meant the limit of the cloud was close! "AAHHH!!! JUST KEEP RUNNING, WE ARE CLOSE!!!" He ran and ran and eventually jumped outside of the damned fire barrage! *THUD!!!* His body fell heavily, with deep burning wounds on his back and all over! "UGHH!!! W-WE MA-!" He yelled back with emotion despite the pain and stared back at his partner. But¡­ Fayette was nowhere to be seen. Chapter 9 - A Heavy Taste Fayette Blanchet had never suffered anything so painful in her whole life. Hundreds of fire bullets, impacted her body and burned her to the crisp every second. "AAAHHH!!! AHHHH!!!!" Her painful groans were emitted, but heard by none, with the last of her strength she extended her hand to the place she had seen her partner last. ''V-Valentine¡­'' The pain muddled her thoughts, as if she was inside a carcass of scorching iron, frying herself all over. It was hell¡­ She stumbled on the burning floor due to the high amount of pain her body experienced and didn''t even have the chance to yell for help before the only thing she saw was Valentine''s departing back. She wanted to yell for help, but what came were her howling shouts of pain. ''Valentine¡­ Is this¡­ How I end?'' She didn''t want to¡­ after going through so much with him, to fall like this. She didn''t if she would die, but to handle this pain¡­ For days? It''s imposible. She''d rather just¡­ pluck her crystal out and destroy it or something! Anything to stop this pain! No segregated adrenaline came to the rescue. No mental fortitude was strong enough. Negative feelings and numbness encroached her brain, that was until she felt her pained body get lifted up! !!! "HAAAAAAAA!!!!!" With a beastly howl, Valentine picked up Fayette and stared to run! Fayette''s remaining eye stared at him, he couldn''t be¡­ recognised anymore and surely her face didn''t resemble anything remotely human either¡­! Tears ran down her remaining eye when she saw him, destroyed like this, running for their lives! Valentine followed the same trail, exactly the same, hoping for the exact same result, his eyes shone with a white flame just like hers, but his was way brighter and pure, a brilliance he himself didn''t recognise or was aware of! "AHHHH!!!" The two yelled, with hope as the only resource. His pained groans served as a therapy, a therapy to relieve his despair! Eventually, he reached the end¡­ the same place where he left his bag. *SHHHHHH!!!* The noise of scorching flesh resonated for a while. And the duo fell on the ground with the two bags of oven cooked meat and stones. Totally unconscious and wasted, hopefully the fire storm wouldn''t turn their way, but frankly, even if it did, they didn''t care as long as they were together... *** Valentine didn''t know when he woke up, but when he did, he found Fayette sleeping on top of his body, the bright red sky shone in as a day seemingly began anew. Her ''clothes'' were burned and her skin looked bright like Jade, as if a viper peeled its skin to give way for an even prettier snake. His gaze roamed the sky¡­ No dark clouds. He''d rather fight a hundred mutated wolves than a dark cloud. If before seeing one caused him apprehension, now he was totally frightened by them. Moving his sleeping partner from his body, he stood with a hiss, his body wasn''t fully regenerated and Fayette''s was even worse, but the den aged skin seemed to peel itself of to be replaced by a pristine one, slowly. Moving his gaze to the side, there was still a clear border between the burned zone and the relatively ''healthy'' zone of the forest. His frowning gaze moved away from that horrifying border, towards the massive black cloud in the distance. ''The two times we have seen it¡­ There are more living things¡­ Is it a coincidence?'' ¡­ Fayette''s pretty eyelids opened gradually, covered in dirt, her burned eye now regenerated, and a phantom burning sensation still rocketed all across her skin. An illusion made by the nigh infinite hell they went through. She grasped around proving, and noticed she''s laying on the hot ground, clearly she fainted, otherwise, there is no way she could sleep on such a hot soil! The second thing she noticed¡­ !!! "Valentine!" *** She found him nearby, heating some meat with several patchy burned zones of his body, his legs were in the worst state and no doubt he was experiencing excessive pain with every movement. But they had to eat. The pair sat on the border with two pieces of frying flesh, thankfully the land hadn''t yet cooled, otherwise they''d have to make a bonfire. Fayette lay her head against her partner''s shoulder and stared at the forest, silence permeated between them, there is nothing to say, nothing to insinuate. Just the warmth of each other''s presence in this accursed world. They had once again managed to escape a crisis. And frankly, the feelings couldn''t increase any more. Fayette stared at him with endless infatuation, it wasn''t the gaze of a maiden in her first ever crush¡­ It was the gaze of a woman that met her ideal partner, her other half. Had their circumstances been different, passion would have already ensued, but even engaging in love was a waste of energy they didn''t dare enjoy. She gazed at the burning forest, many tries still on fire despite the cloud having already passed. She frowned, the fire emanating from them was leaning strongly to the left side. But she couldn''t sense any wind currents here at all. Maybe the wind current was there and not here? She kept staring at it for a few minutes, but the fire eventually stopped in all of them, leaning to the left until the end. "Valentine¡­" "¡­?" "Have you paid attention to the flames?" She inquired with furrowed brows. Her inquire prompted him to lift his whilst he turned the meat around on the scalding rocks. "No, is it important?" "I believe¡­ We will have to think out of the box to get out of here, I notice that the fire is moving towards one side even when there is no current, it''s not fluttering or anything, just¡­ Moving towards one side." She placed her assessment on the table and waited for his decision. "¡­ Wait here." After thinking for a while he muttered and stood up. "Where are you going?" She tilted her head, intending to follow but he shook his head in denial. "I''m just going to get some wood to make fire and confirm your theory, you finish grilling the meat." "¡­" She cued an affirmation, indeed if they produce the fire in a place where there is no air current, then that means her theory is correct. *** "A-Are you serious?" She smiled wryly at the ridiculousness before her. Valentine sat beside her with an irritated expression, rolling the damned wood for who knows how long and not a single speck of flame had yet to come out! This piece of wood couldn''t be any more dry¡­ Yet no flame formed from friction! "Are you sure you''re doing it right?" She wanted to add something at the end of that phrase, but¡­ Didn''t dare to, yet. "Of course!" Valentine yelled and did it faster, but¡­ No result came out of that. "I can''t find an explanation." She shrugged her shoulders and lay on her back, giving up on making fire. The two of them were not toddlers, making fire was one of the most basics of things. Yet they couldn''t. Valentine lay beside her in resignation, feeling a weird feeling on his crotch that he recognised really well. ''Well, fuck me¡­'' He thought with exasperation. They had drunk water to their fill before, surely there is no need for that¡­ Or at least that''s what he thought. "Isn''t it about time for you to¡­ I don''t know, unload the tank?~" her sweet but mocking voice resounded. "¡­" He refused to answer, ''God dammit, couldn''t you ask at any other moment!?'' "Oh? Don''t tell me you want to and you are concealing it from me!?" Fayette sat up with a head start and technically growled at the possibility! "Listen, do you know how dirty I''m down there?! Is not worth it!" He yelled back, maybe before was one thing, but now!? Days without taking a proper shower or bath, sweating and getting dirty all the time¡­ at least his crotch didn''t burn to the crisp with the last incident¡­ there is no way it will be pleasant! Fayette considered his words, "I¡­ I get you but I won''t touch it directly, just aim in my mouth like I did, we can''t waste any liquid!" She needed something to eat that meat with anyway! "¡­" Valentine couldn''t say anything, Fayette is surely the most perfect woman he has ever met, perfect body, perfect personality, perfect eyes. But dammit she has a heavy taste! *** Valentine stood in front of her, with his member aiming straight at a knelt Fayette. The latter had her mouth opened wide and her eyes¡­ were staring straight at his uncovered crotch that twitched slightly. Clearly he was restraining himself. "Isn''t this the moment when you close your eyes out of courtesy!?" He grit his teeth at her shamelessness. The mature woman kept her stoic behaviour, even going as far as to show a slight grim. But she was fooling no one, her face was a red as it could get! His stench invaded her nostrils, surprisingly arousing despite the stink, she would never admit, that she''s not thirsty¡­ "S-Stop wasting time¡­ Or d-do you need my help?" She tried to sound as serious and less seductive as possible, but wasn''t making it, a grin portrayed in her pretty but dirty countenance, one that made Valentine get the chills. Her shaking hand grasped his member and she closed her mouth to the head. ''It''s¡­ Large.'' She wasn''t a prude little girl¡­ This is not the biggest one she had seen or fucked¡­ She''s a whole ten years older than him, if they don''t count the two centuries difference in the Earth ''This is his¡­ if only we weren''t in this predicament.'' A warm liquid entered her mouth, with a lot more volume than before as the two had really drank a lot of water before. He stared at her gaze, who was firmly looking at him. It is undeniable now, their thoughts matched. ''Once we take a proper shower and find a better place¡­'' But even then, Rose''s image popped up in his mind, together with three more beautiful women. Fayette noticed his restraint, and furrowed her brows in irritation. ''Stop thinking about others¡­'' She didn''t voice that out, they''re nothing, yet. When they finished she stood up after having swallowed several mouthfuls until only half was left. "Come here¡­" Her cold voice resonated next and she didn''t give him time to say what he was thinking! ''You can have it-!'' She sealed his mouth and quickly passed the primordial liquid to him! !!! ''Dammit, I wonder if this even works!'' He cursed inwardly, having been taught this method for survival, to this day, he still wondered if it''s effective. The dirty kiss continued for a while until he swallowed the whole liquid, but after that, when he tried to release, Fayette''s arms wrapped around his neck and she practically rested her whole body against his, continuing the kiss. !!! Her tongue ran a rampage and she closed her eyes, enjoying a kiss like she never before had. He didn''t stop himself either, wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her to his heart''s content, temporarily numbing the pictures in his head, and focusing solely on this person. When their lips finally receded, she stared at him with a dreamy gaze before regaining her composure. "I''m a very jealous and possessive lady¡­ Just bear that in mind..." She felt truly awkward to some extent, for the first time she''s the one proactively chasing someone, but that wouldn''t stop her from going all or nothing¡­ Clearly he has his internal issues as to why he''s not being proactive¡­ So she considered she had to do it herself. "Bear in mind? You and me both, besides¡­ we''re nothing yet~" he teased the mature lady and even pinched her waist. The lady only rolled her eyes in annoyance and they kept embracing just like that, smelling each other''s stink¡­ "We share each other''s piss, we share each other''s flesh and blood, we share saliva¡­ Is there anything we are not!? I assure you, you didn''t have such intimate relationship let alone with your girlfriends! Not even your mother that wiped your dirty ass when you were a little kid, knows how your piss or saliva tastes!" She yelled with outrage, as if wondering if there was any need to considerate anything anymore. "¡­" He didn''t say anything but a part of that statement was wrong. ''She''s got a point.'' He then cursed inwardly, regardless of saliva¡­ Indeed, none knew how his piss tasted, and hopefully, that would be the last thing they shared. "The only thing we have left to share is~" "Oh for god''s sake, if you dare finish that sentence Fayette!" He could only try to cover her mouth but the woman was relentless! She grinned and opened her pretty mouth! "What? You thought I was going to say ''shit''? Hmph! Even if you were the holy father of the world and I had not eaten for months, I''d still not eat your shit! This Commander is a lady with manners you know!? Do you know how many politicians and billionaires would have wished to taste my piss Huh!? You''re lucky!" The woman stood proudly, lucky that there weren''t any flies to pose together with her, her gaze brightened when her partner released a joyful laughter and grabbed her hand, walking to where they had their stuff. He took his fur and placed it around his crotch again. "Yes Young Mistress of the Bullshit Sect¡­ Let''s go, you can joke all you want later." He said with a smile, now with a lighter mood and dragged her by her hand as they picked up their stuff. "Where are we going now?" She grasped his hand tightly with one knife on her other hand, ready for any unexpected encounter. "You said those flaming logs were pointing against where?" "There¡­ Do you want to follow the flames?" She pointed to the right direction, their three o''clock. The position was inaccurate, but it was a rough estimation. "It''s better than going nowhere¡­ I have a hunch that those clouds¡­ They don''t appear randomly, you said we have to think outside the box, maybe those flames point to the exit?" He sighed, hoping that there was an exit at all. What if hell is just wandering in this never ending forest? For eternity, without being able to die? He wouldn''t want to dwell in that possibility and didn''t want to lower her energy and enthusiasm by telling her either. They were needed for them to keep going. ¡­ "They could also point towards more black clouds or any other danger, we''re in hell¡­" She wondered with stern. "I don''t think so, the cloud departed towards the left¡­ In any case, just be prepared." *** "What are you going to do if we find more humans?" She inquired not long after they started walking hand in hand. "I don''t know¡­" "We should either leave them or kill them if they get nonsensical." Her cold gaze manifested instantly. "They could have been here longer than us and know information that we don''t¡­" "If they knew a lot, they wouldn''t be here Valentine¡­ I believe we can fend well enough by ourselves, having another mouth to feed is not practical." Fayette resumed. ''Specially if it''s a woman¡­'' She added in her mind with venom. ''A man is certainly imposible¡­'' He continued in his. "¡­" "¡­" *** The two kept walking, enjoying each other''s presence mostly and once again days went by¡­ following the border trail until it disappeared. The forest seemed more lively at some point and less burned, they even made an incredible discovery, for the first time in weeks, they found a leaf! The two haven''t eaten anything in two days after they ran out of food once again. No animal of cloud has been spotted, they didn''t know how much they have walked in all those weeks, or at least what they perceived were weeks. But one thing is sure. This forest is gargantuan. They kept walking, hungry but aware that they could feed on each other if necessary, not truly the best preference but they but they would live no matter what. When they reached a open clearing where it looked like a small pool of water had been before, had it not been by the heat, Fayette''s peace got abruptly interrupted. She had been happily enjoying how Valentine''s hands clenched hers every so often, too oblivious to even stare at his face. *THUD* "¡­" Fayette stepped forward once but Valentine''s hand held hers tightly in place. They had stopped. She turned around and saw him lifting his clenched fist, clenching his hand. !!! Silence permeated, only the slight noise of fluttering around with the wind. But¡­ There were no wind currents! Valentine took a knife, lifted it up and threw it against a leafless bush at amazing speeds! "AHHH!!!" A pained groan resonated through the woods and Fayette''s combat instincts activated at that very moment! *FIUSH!!* *FIUSH!!* ¡­ Several projectiles shot through directed towards Valentine! He managed to dodge one that was surpassingly directed towards his arm, his knife managed to cut another but the third one was going to hit! *PUSH!* He felt Fayette pushed him and the two fell, successfully evading the projectiles the ravenous woman didn''t stop there, with the momentum of her force she pushed herself off the ground in a pirouette and ran towards the trees! "I''m going for the archers!" Chapter 10 - His Only Weakness "I''m going for the archers!" Fayette yelled in excitement and thrill, without looking back as her figure disappeared amidst the trees. Valentine regarded her figure until she disappear and regained his focus when he heard the bushes moving nearby. At the same time three men with different complexions, two naked and one dressed in rags, ran with improvised hammers towards him out of the woods! "GET HIS LEGS!" He steadied her breath and stood up with a pirouette, swiftly turning like a spiral of his own after being taken down by Fayette. "DIE!!" One of the men, the closest to him, yelled as if he was in some kind of game, he swung his relatively heavy hammer that was but a mere piece of wood with a rock attached to it! Amidst his pirouette, he kicked the hammer right at the wooden handle and destroyed it! *BAANG!* The man stumbled at the impact and kept his momentum trail. As if break dancing he evaded the second man who also swung his hammer and propelled himself out of their reach not before throwing one of his knives towards the third one''s gut, the knife went through the man''s flesh like a bullet and blood spewed all over! "AHHHH!!!!" The three fools were left completely awestruck! ''WHAT THE HELL!?'' "Next time you decide to tail your prey, conceal yourself better and don''t wait until they''re in a damned open clearing, idiots¡­ not that you will have that chance anymore." He disdained these ''civilians'' and rushed forth, knife in hand! *** Fayette ran through the forest, tailing three running men whose figures were closer and closer, not able to keep up with her speed. She had passed by the place where the first man that Valentine injured was lying, the wolf''s claw in the form of a knife went through the man''s stomach and he was bleeding to death. Feeling happy, she took mercy on the idiot, took the knife whilst evading two more arrows and directly sliced the man''s neck. Never stop moving, a simple saying in the army¡­ ''If you stop, you''re dead!'' The French commander regarded the three running men that frequently fired arrows back at her, their voices more than clear as they colluded. Their aim wasn''t the best, but one could see that they had been doing this for a long time. "It''s impossible! How can just two of them handle us like this!" One of the men yelled in apprehension, he couldn''t believe how this woman so swiftly evaded all of their projectiles. "Shit! SHIT! They''re professionals! Let''s just tackle her together and kill her and we will then go for the other bast-! AHHHH!!" "You talk too much!" Fayette scowled with coldness after throwing the knife she just collected, impacting the man''s thigh! "UGHHH!! D-DAMMIT HELP ME!- UGH!!" He turned around to look at his running teammates who clearly didn''t intend to come back and help him, but he didn''t even have time to finish his words. Fayette was relentless, taking any chance, as nimble as a ghost. She wanted to leave the man alive to question him later, but she knew he would regenerate and leave, if he''s to regenerate, she''d better injure him as much as possible so that it would take longer. "AAHHHHHH!!!!" She dragged the knife all along the man''s leg to his groin, leaving deep cuts all over. When she was about to catch up with the other two, she saw the crystal protrude amidst the flesh in the man''s tight. ''The crystals¡­'' Instead of catching up with the other man, she stopped to consider. ''Right now it''s the best moment to experiment...'' They hadn''t found any humans for so many weeks, she had this thought in mind for long, but didn''t want to try it with Valentine. She was sure that her partner was alright, they weren''t that far and the pained yells she heard weren''t his. With an attentive gaze she pierced the knife inside the man''s flesh, right on the tattoo, she didn''t have to wait for the man''s groans of pain as he struggled free in vain. Her knife eventually touched something hard and as if electrocuted, the man started to shake violently! *SLASH!* She made a deeper cut, careful to evade any incoming arrows, but they never came. Taking the black crystal, she noticed it was a little bigger than the others, but not a lot different, at that stage, the man''s body stopped twitching, as if he couldn''t be any deader as even the body started to pale rapidly! ''Interesting...'' *** Fayette ran back to where she left her partner and was unimpressed to find two of the men apparently lifeless, the one she beheaded would surely regenerate soon so she got to him first and collected the crystal. Valentine stood with his foot on top of a groaning man, he had no limbs, all of them scattered around! "BASTARD! LET ME GO!!" He twisted and turned, even trying to punch Valentine''s foot with his amputee bloody arms, the only thing he got was Valentine''s foot planted on his head. The profesional assasin just stared at his partner with concern, "You okay? Where are the others?" She approached him and presented him two of the crystals, this only made him furrow his brows and it was then that he recalled, those are the crystals inside their bodies... "One of them escaped, as long as we take these crystals, they won''t be able to stand anymore." She concluded. "¡­" "What I don''t understand is, how does the regeneration trigger? I just discovered that this crystal is now like our hearts, we have to protect it at all cost." With furrowed brows she walked around, collecting the crystals of the other two... when she was about to collect the clothed man''s who was incapacitated but clearly starting to regenerate... Valentine spoke. "Leave him... he has rags and a better hammer, that means he''s been here longer than the others and we need answers, collect the crystals out of those two..." After kicking the disabled man''s body like a piece of rubbish, he walked to the clothed man who he was more interested in. "Y-YOU''RE CRAZY, A COUPLE OF CRAZY BASTARDS!" The now disabled man who had seen the whole exchange couldn''t contain his fear anymore and yelled, hoping someone would come and help him, but no one did. The bloodied woman smirked with a maniacal gaze, those pretty hererochromatic shining eyes of hers made her all the more scary. She smirked and gave the man a glance, lifting her bloodied knife to her bloodied face, she blushed ''cutely''. "Oh my? Is that how we look?~ You see Valentine!? he called us a couple!" "A couple... of ''crazy bastards'' mind you" He rolled his eyes but a smile crept on his face inadvertently. ''She looks hot covered in blood.'' He thought inwardly, shaking his head the next second. ''What the hell am I thinking?'' "Just details~" *** An unknown amount of time passed. The long-haired man finally woke up from his induced stupor, he found himself laying on the floor, with his body regenerating. "You finally up?" !!! "Huh?- WWAHHHHH!!" The pain came as fast as his awakened consciousness, one of his legs got amputated right at that moment! "Sorry about this but... we have nothing to bind you, we can only do this to prevent you from running with your friends, something we''d gladly accept if we knew your group''s numbers~" Fayette''s delicious voice resonated as she prepared herself to cut the other leg! Valentine only stared at everything with an amused expression, this woman likes to do the dirty job all the time. As a possible partner, it''s complicated... As a subordinate... He never had anyone so efficient. "W-Wait! I''m not going to run!!" "You may excuse me but... I don''t believe you~" *SLASH!* "AHHHHHHHH!!!" His regenerating limb just fell again¡­ Sad. "W-WAIT PLEASE! W-WE CAN NEGOTIATE!" "Fufu~ Wrong answer." *SLASH!!* "AHHHHH H-HELP ME!" "Now, spill the beans. How many of you are there? what do you know of this place? how long have you been here?!" She started with a barrage of basic questions. "I''m not going to tell you sh- AAHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Fayette buried her sharp knife on the man''s tattoo, located on his tight, touching the crystal... It seemed to cause so much pain, more than slicing a limb! "You know, when I was still alive... God, that felt so weird¡­" She sighed and shook her head. "When I was still alive, there was never a man or woman I didn''t manage to compel to talk... and you, little shit, won''t be the first. There is always have something important... something that you can threaten, I took their mothers... their lovers, and even then... they refused to talk, that was until I threatened those two eggs... Men have such a ridiculous weakness right in between their legs~" Her knife pointed at his crotch but her gaze never went there, her gaze remained on him as if she was staring at a corpse. The moment the man heard that he started to sweat, way more than the heat was making him sweat! And it wasn''t only him! She pointed the knife towards the man''s covered crotch and smirked, "Some even sold their mothers just to make me stop~" "¡­" "Okay~ Let''s peel-!" The crazy bitch smirked maniacally as if rejoicing by his choice! "STOP PLEASE! I WILL TALK!" The man spoke right away... apparently, he was just a businessman when he was still alive, so naturally, he didn''t have that much will and his jewels were his most important treasure. "It''s about twenty of them... In a cave not too far from here... I''ll tell you more if you promise to let me live!" "Go ahead, we will just leave you here if you tell us everything and head to the cave straight away..." Valentine spoke next and it made Fayette raise her eyebrows but she nodded in confirmation nonetheless. "Our leader... He''s a big man, they have several women there that they use for pleasure, there are 15 men that have managed to create tools to protect ourselves, we managed to kill several wolves in the months we''ve been there... We have... No idea what this place is but, we don''t dare leave that cave, the black cloud comes many times a week and we don''t dare step outside... We have already eaten many... the group used to be like thirty people in the start." "Thirty people?!" Fayette exclaimed in surprise, so many?! They had been walking and running for weeks and hadn''t seen a single one, why were there so many in a single place... Also, the black cloud comes several times a week?! Only that made her not want to stand around here. ¡­ "Yes, but wolves come to the cave often and we hunt them in big groups... That''s all I know... We have no way to escape this place and we also don''t know what it is, the only thing we know is that all of us died before coming here so... We guess this place is like hell or something, that''s the only explanation." He finished. "Are you sure that''s all you know?" She asked again, pointing right at where his crystal is. "... Those crystals, we don''t know what they are, but when you store them in a closed place or hold them with you, nothing happens... If you place them on the ground, however, like a seed, the person starts to regenerate, we don''t know why this happens... But again, it''s not like we can explain why it rains fire in this damned place!" Fayette thought that was enough information, surely someone who''s been here for mere months can''t know that much. She gave her partner a glare as if inquiring what to do next. Valentine moved and crouched down in front of the scared man who would now know if they were really going to let him off! "Who are you? where are you from? and... what was the date when you died?" He asked next and Fayette understood why he wanted to know but she still felt bewildered, does that even matter now? "... My name is Farah Ahmed, I-I was a businessman in Iran... It should have been the 9th of August, 1833... Why do you care?" The man managed to answer still resisting the pain from his bisected legs, not moving much least it hurts more, just waiting for them to regenerate. "... Nevermind, turn around Fayette, I''m going to tie him up to a tree with his clothes" He affirmed and went to action, much to the man''s outrage! "Hey! Why?! That''s not the deal!" He scowled at the injustice. "There is no deal¡­ If you prefer I can cut you down here." "N-No..." ¡­ "Why don''t you want me to see him? I have seen plenty of naked men here. Could it be... are you jealous?~" She asked playfully but did as told. "I am..." He stated with a confident glint, not playing around and his honesty took her by surprise. ''Let''s see how long you can tease me before blowing your cover.'' She blushed slightly but didn''t say a word, choosing to instead grit her teeth and pout. ''He''s growing aware of my feelings¡­ Once he confirms them¡­ I won''t have any leverage.'' Just as they said since the immemorial, whoever falls first, loses. ¡­ "Where is the cave located?" After tying the naked and limbless man to the tree, he asked his next question. "UGH! I-It''s straight down, there! Just follow straight and when you see a big tree with cut branches, turn left, it should be about there..." The Arab said, evading his gaze. "Is that so? Do you think those guys are coming to help you?" Valentine asked his last question, studying the man''s physical signals. "They will... whoever escaped will probably tell the boss that you have a pretty bitch... and let''s just say those whores are in big demand in that cave... The other ones there are a little... Broken... Moreover, they''re also dirty. But yours is..." A smile managed to creep on his face as if he remembered something and licked his lips *BAANG!* "AHHHH! B-BITCH!" Fayette punched his head so hard he bit on his own tongue and bisected it! "Hmph! Let''s go..." Fayette grasped her partner''s hand and moved forward, she felt hungry, and surely those bastards had food, she didn''t feel like eating her crush''s flesh yet, especially if there were prey. But she also didn''t feel like eating someone else''s flesh... *** The two walked straight until the struggling fool couldn''t be seen anymore, but then Valentine stopped abruptly. "What''s wrong? Surrounded again?" "No, let''s go back around and hide for a day or two until they come and rescue him." He stated and started to pull her hand around. "We can''t wait, maybe we will be able to ambush them inside the cave! Aren''t you hungry!?" After seeing their combined prowess, she felt confident, most of the people they have seen so far were akin to infants compared with them. They could surely make a plan to lure out a portion and ambush the others inside the cave, then be ready for when the others came back, that was the first plan that came upon her mind. He sighed at her confidence. ''As expected of an army commander, always seeking battles of attrition instead of proper strategy.'' "Don''t underestimate the enemy, they have the advantage in that cave... we will just stand by for a day or two, if they don''t come... We go and guard on, analyse their movements. As long as they come to this clearing and we ambush them, even twenty won''t be too hard to take down, but if we face the twenty of them in their advantageous point, we will lose and remember, losing is not an option... Not when we aren''t even free to die." "..." "And that''s without accounting for the fact that the location of the cave he just said could be fake, only to take us in circles or even worse, towards another ambush... Even the numbers might be wrong and there aren''t twenty, instead, there are fifty to ambush us, or ten, he intended to deter us from going to the cave by saying a lie... You never know and that''s why you always attract the enemy, not the other way around." His voice sounded like a teacher, he knew she was an expert, but she still has a long way to go in her confidence and stratagem planning. ... "..." Fayette Blanchet couldn''t find any flaws in his logic, she''s flabbergasted... not only that but his rational capacity, scheming and strategy, together with his fighting and surviving skills... ''Is this what an strategist is like?'' In her time strategies are planned and waged by AIs capable of properly analysing the whole battlefield. ''No wonder they couldn''t catch this man back then no matter what they did... he''s a monster...'' Only by using one of his trusted aides against him... Could they finally get to him. To love... That had been his only weakness. She hadn''t noticed they were being followed at all, but he managed to not only pretend he didn''t know but also guide them to a place where he held the advantage, he was confident in her capacity to adapt to the situation after having studied her well the last few weeks. ''And now he even turned this Farah into his puppet... Without using any sorcery or charm, he''s going to tell the ones that are coming to save him whatever he wants them to know... Simply terrifying.'' The ex-commander wouldn''t want to fight someone like him on the battlefield, who would come up standing in a hand to hand fight between the two? She didn''t know. But one thing she knew, if given enough time, the fight would be over before it even began, his methods weren''t foreign to her doctrine, but... He simply didn''t waste any opportunities and did everything so efficiently it was unbelievable. ''I really did quite the catch in here~'' "And what do we do if the black cloud comes?" "... Hehe, that might be better~" He smirked and grasped her hand, turning around towards the place where they left the man, careful that he wouldn''t see them. "Huh?!" Chapter 11 - Impromptu Atop a very long tree devoured of leaves, Valentine stared at the sky in the distance... With a certain amount of concern, but also, the unprecedented thrill! In the base of that tree, his partner Fayette, craved a shower more than an expensive meal in a Michelin ranked restaurant. That didn''t stop her stomach from mumbling in dissatisfaction. Soon she would need a piece of her love-*cough* partner''s flesh... "The black cloud is coming, if they don''t show up today, we''re off..." She heard him speak as he came down from the tree. "There is no need to wait... they''re here." The ex-commander said nonchalantly, preparing her knives as the two crouched on the floor, picking some rocks in the process... she had the fur bag with the crystals and rocks, together with a knife in each hand, now starting to use the wolves'' since she saw they were sharper. While Valentine held the weapons as they were more dangerous to handle, at least she didn''t have to hold that rotten bear''s stomach where the crystals were before, Valentine had assumed the reason they didn''t regenerate was that they were inside that stomach or something of the sort... now at least they know nothing will happen as long as they don''t place the crystals directly on the soil. ¡­ "Can you see them from here?" He couldn''t see anything more than the man tied to the tree. "I can... It''s called enhanced vision." She said cheekily. "How come you couldn''t see them before?" He inquired with the intent of teasing her ''enhanced vision''. He only obtained an ''enhanced'' eye roll, "It''s a genetic trait, it only works if I focus on something... we had some many weeks without human contact that I just lowered my guard too much, it''s not going to happen again..." "... Anyway, when they''re close enough, can you listen to what they say too?" "I can, but we will have to approach several metres, what''s the plan?~" "It''s like this¡­" *** "Farah! Useless cunt! How could you let yourself be captured by a pair of toddlers!? Where are the others?! Where is ''she''!?" A black tall man appeared through the woods with an upset expression, behind him, seven other men walked, each dressed in rags and with weapons of their own. *BAAANG!* "AHHH! D-DAMN! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" The Arab received a fierce kick and yelled back in outrage after coughing a mouthful of blood, not understanding why his ''companion'' was acting so aggressively now! "I just told you to check if there were any creatures nearby and it turns out you got a whole unit killed!? you wasted my time and resources and still dare expect to get a good treatment!? where is she!?" The black man grasped Farah''s head forcefully and huffed on his face disgustingly. He clearly didn''t come here to save Farah. "... They left somewhere else, I gave them a fake location, they said they wanted to ambush you all in a cave, they''re no pushovers! Release me now!" "Release you?~ Boys, you haven''t had a proper meal in a while, right? I said we''d kill that fat whore Kelly and eat her in two days but... another snack appeared right in front of us, at least like this we don''t have to get rid of the hookers..." The black man yelled and his companions snickered at the suggestion. Farah''s visage, however... grew pale! "Y-You can''t Shaquille! I have helped you for months now!" His despaired visage stared at the approaching men. "You have Farah... And as a show of gratitude for that, I''ll make sure to do it fast! Boys eat this bastard now! We don''t want to be out here if any of those damned clouds come by!" His shout of confirmation was all those guys needed before the carnage began! "NO! NOOO!! AHHHHH!!!" *** "Disgusting... this is how it is when there are other humans in groups..." Fayette frowned in disgust, ready to charge the moment her partner adviced. "We have eaten each other''s flesh." She received a deadpan from her partner. "Yes, but... that''s kind of romantic, this however..." "Romantic you say?!" She''s not making any sense! But when has she ever? ¡­ "Sorry, either being too close to you or remaining too long in this place, my mind seems to be getting screwed big time~" Fayette giggled, clearly not at all repenting for this new ''mindset''. "You were more than a little crazy to begin with, piss drinking commander..." "Hush!" *** The stirring noises of meat being eaten resonated for several minutes, minutes in which Farah suffered the fool fledged pain of being eaten piece by piece. His pained and despaired yells followed that of the munches in a vigorous rhythm, even his crystal wasn''t spared. "Ha! Boss, we should leave, the place is darkening, I believe it''s one of the clouds..." One of the men with a bloodied mouth and a finger in his mouth finished his meal "There is still half of the torso left, it could be just that the moons are dimming, continue until there''s nothing left, we ain''t taking anything to the cave!~" He chuckled and the subordinates heeded. ''Hungry and scared people are easier to control...'' "I would heed your subordinate if I was you~" !!! Upon hearing a glamorous voice, he turned around and stared at the woman whose dirty blonde hair fluttered, she smirked with a frosty gaze. His heart stopped, he didn''t even pay attention to the man standing beside her... Those hips, those breasts, those blue and yellow eyes... Even with a deep layer of dirt covering her, there is no doubt this woman is a diamond! It was love at first sight. Alas, a love that was not fated to be, now or ever. "Hey! Stop eating, we''ve got company... hello there~ you decided to come back to daddy... how about you come and have a meal? We can do a lot of fun stuff afterwards." If there was something everyone in this accursed place wanted, is food! The other guys stopped eating and glanced at Fayette with equally disgusting expression. "Thanks, but... no thanks~" *THUD* "..." His still bloodied gaze lowered, he hadn''t even noticed when she threw it. Because she didn''t, it had been Valentine! Deep inside his leg, maybe going through his knee, there was a knife, blood seeped through very quickly and it didn''t take long for his brain to update... "AAAAHHHHHH!!! Y-YOU BITCH! GET HER!" Shaquille stumbled, trying to hold himself in place! This damned knife! He took one of his own, ready to charge, having gotten it from the wolf before! Two of the men took their bows and their improvised arrows could only be counted with one hand, the others took hammers with just two having knives made out of wolf claws... "Don''t let those knives touch you, remember the plan..." Valentine took his two knives and rushed forth, his first objective, the piece of shit that was staring at his wom- partner... as if she was his property! "Roger!" Fayette''s objective were the archers, they escaped before but they wouldn''t know! However, they weren''t underestimated this time around, the men charge evenly and due to the open clearing, she had the capability to evade but found herself unable to attack! "Tch!" She caught a glimpse of Valentine, only to see him behead the black man despite the fact that he was being attacked by three more plus the black man! ''How the hell does he do it!?'' They barely started and he already got first blood?! She wouldn''t lose this time. ... Valentine just evaded three strikes, two coming from in front and one arrow, his eyes moved like those of a schizophrenic, up, down, right, left! Staring at everything, not letting go of any detail! Even Fayette was within his gaze, he ducked to evade one strike and cut the man''s stomach making him fall stumble in pain to hold his organs, this was enough for Valentine to grab him and block the arrow, while his other hand received the hammer blow! "UGH!" Several of his bones shattered but he held his place, the arrow went straight the man''s shoulder and he groaned in pain, seeing the black man rush, he moved the injured guy against the one that striked him and kicked his bleeding stomach as hard as he could. The two fell to the ground together, when he finally managed to turn his gaze, the black man was upon him, ready to cut him down with his wolf knife. But... He was slow, too slow. His overbearing size, double his height, and bulky muscles, made him as slow as a turtle. Like going to the park on a Sunday, Valentine boringly cut the black man''s head down and it fell to the floor in a bloody mess, in total disbelief. Everything had happened so fast! The two men still groaned on the ground, but it was then time for the last part of the plan. The burning smell started to concentrate, due to the darkening sky and the thrill of the fight, those men hadn''t realised but that wasn''t Valentine and Fayette''s case! The black cloud is upon them! He didn''t have time to collect any crystals, the two stared at one another with a smirk, "Oh? The cloud is coming, let''s go dear, I know the best way!" Fayette ran in a certain direction, the one that would allow them to round up the cloud the same way the had done before. "HEY! WAIT!" The remaining injured and uninjured men stared at one another in fear, the cloud is coming! They saw Shaquille''s beheaded body and shook their heads, ''The cave is too far away, maybe they know the right way!?'' "Follow them!" "Hey help me!" One of the fallen men, the one whose stomach got cut, twisted on the ground, asking for help, but no help came at all! The ones that managed to stand up and those that fought Fayette directly ran after Valentine''s trail! "UGH! H-HELP!" The remaining survivors plus the beheaded man stood in their place, unable to move at all. Soon, the burning forest was upon them, a barrage of toxic ''acid'' fell from the sky, burning everything in its wake! "AHHHHHHH!!!!" *** Three of the survivors kept running, having already lost Valentine''s trail, they could only try to follow the direction where he ran to! Sadly, they were also caught up by the burning forest and the acid! "OOOHHH!! DAMN!!" One of them yelled, he tried to run for several minutes, but eventually fell! "AHHHHH!!!" *** Outside of the burning forest, and out of the gigantic cloud''s way, the pair stood, waiting... They could see the burning forest was no longer approaching them, this meant they truly managed to get out of its way. "Do you think they will make it?" Fayette asked, embracing her partner''s back and crushing her chest against him. She was surprised on how adept they became on surviving in this forest. "I hope at least one of them will... we need someone to guide us to that cave." "But they might not know the road back anymore." "Let''s also hope they do, in any case, we don''t really need to find that cave." The two believed themselves perfectly capable to survive in this forest, as long as they could find creatures to eat and small wisps of water every so often, they would be able to make it without having to eat each other''s flesh. The most dangerous characteristic of this forest, the black clouds, was something they had already learned how to evade. Or at least... That''s what they thought. Fayette paid attention to the flame''s direction and stored it in her mind. Not shortly after, they managed to witness how a burned and battered body left the flaming forest, struggling to even crawl out, not a single part of his body wasn''t fried like boneless chicken on a pan full of oil! "So just one, huh..." Valentine sighed, but it was then that Fayette tugged on his arm. "V-Valentine..." "Hum?" "What is it?" He turned around only to see his partner''s pale visage. Behind them... In the dead night of the dimming moon, the forest was burning! "..." His countenance paled. It''s another black cloud, coming straight at them from behind, and now they''re in between two of them! Where did it come from!? "We have to run! Hey you! Tell us where that cave is!" The first thing that dwelled through his mind was that grilled man! He ran up to the still barely conscious man and grasped his shoulder roughly! "I..." The man whose body was burned and melting couldn''t even speak properly! Gritting his teeth in irritation at this unexpected turn of events, he stared at his partner that awaited his input! "Follow me!" The other cloud came adjacent to the first one, there was a slim path they could follow to evade it, but no doubt the acid was going to fall on them, it''s now or never! Chapter 12 - Im Running For Your Life The couple ran, Valentine with the man on his back, waiting for him to regenerate and tell him the direction, they didn''t have that much of an option, the black cloud is catching up! Fayette ran beside him, just as fast, trying to slap the man, curse him, asking friendly, anything! As long as he told them where the cave is! "I... don''t know... I lost... the direction..." he muttered, still hissing at his pained body! "Then try to remember, look around and see!" She insisted, looking back periodically only to see the black cloud approaching from the left, while the first cloud remained in the right, the path was getting slimmer and slimmer. The heat was nearly unbearable and the ground''s heat increased exponentially! Valentine kept running towards the only place that was cleared, there is nothing else he can do! "W-Wait, I... Recognise that tree, does it have... a double mark in it!?" The man stuttered and narrowly managed to point at a tree. The threshold was getting ridiculous, just like their hopes, this guys voice sounded like the flute of an archangel! "Yes, it has!" They ran by the tree and Fayette noticed the two marks on it! "Turn left towards there, and run straight, the cave should be in about a minute away!" The two followed his signal, he was pointing towards the burning forest! "..." "..." The couple gave each other a deep gaze, what should they do!? If they kept running straight, eventually, the black cloud is going to catch up, can they even survive then!? But if they follow this man''s leading, and it turns out to be false!? "I will follow you wherever..." Fayette''s sweet gaze stared at him, fearlessly, as they ran¡­ they had been through worse. Valentine grit his teeth and took his decision, with a swift movement, he threw the man to the ground! "A-AHH!!! HEY!!" The man couldn''t believe it, were they going to leave him here!? He fell on the ground like trash and the two kept running! Fayette didn''t know when, but Valentine took her in a princess carry and placed her body against his chest! !!! "N-NO! DON''T DO IT BY YOURSELF!" She yelled in outrage, tears starting to form in her eyes, but all she received was a kiss on her forehead. "I''ll be counting on you, Faye..." Valentine breathed in hard, and then changed his direction, running towards the burning forest where the man had pointed early! One again he''d have to face this accursed rain! "UHHGGGAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Screaming in pain, the rain started to fall on them, but he twisted, moved and used his body, intending to protect as much of hers from the rain as possible! His foot scorched like touching lava, his skin burned to the crips, his eyes itched uncontrollably until a drop fell right one of them and busted it. But he kept running! "UGHH!!" Fayette grunted as well, tears falling from her eyes as she embraced him for dear life, even then it was mostly her legs getting injured, her a part of her back, her head and her torso, were all being protected by Valentine! For two torturous minutes that seemed to be thousands of years, Valentine ran, he didn''t know what energy, or what force impulses him, whether there is actually a cave straight away or not. He doesn''t know if they can survive this torture if there isn''t one. He only knows one thing, he doesn''t want Fayette Blanchet, Faye... to end like Rose... Like Romina, like Francesca. Like his mother. Not again! Not after everything they had gone through! He ran and ran fast, still feeling the immeasurable pain, but not caring about it! A white flame shone through his eye with fury, seemingly intending to burn the poor eyeball to the crisp. Until finally, like the light from heaven, like God opening the oceans after having mercy on their souls... He finally witnessed the cave! The pain seemed to muffle¡­ to give way to the joy of the possibilities. It''s there, it exists! he just has to reach it! "AAAHHHHHHH!!!!" *FIIUSH!!* With the last of his strength, he stepped in and his body, mind and soul gave away¡­ what happened next he doesn''t know. He lost his consciousness that very instant, trusting his whole self to his partner. Unbeknownst to him, that mysterious substance, that mysterious but abrasive power residing in his arm, under his tattoo was rejoicing. *** Fayette''s body fell together with Valentine''s and her womanly instincts activated with a vengeance, her gaze moved and stared at several approaching forms! She took out her knife and stood in front of Valentine''s body, her legs and several spots of her body charred and painful, but she cared not, giving the approaching men the coldest gaze they would see in their miserable lives, she yelled. "WHOEVER DARES SO MUCH AS APPROACH, I WILL CUT YOUR BALLS AND USE THEM AS EARRINGS BEFORE SLAUGHTERING YOU, AM I UNDERSTOOD!?" Her eyes moved back and fro, analyzing everything! ''Three men, three women... Hammers, there are no bows nearby, no one''s coming to the cave.'' The three men approached while the females lay scared on a corner, all except for one, her gaze looked poisonous! She didn''t care. Two of the men looked rather intimidated by Fayette but another last one, upon seeing her exotic body, decided to test his luck! "Babe, there is no need to point-!" He approached another step, but that''s about as much as he was allowed to! *FIIUSH!* "AHHHHH!!!!" The knife went straight through his head, skull and inside his brain! "Jose!! Y-You bit-!" One of the men yelled in fear but before he could finish his course, she took another knife and pointed it at him! "LAST WARNING..." Never had her voice been so frosty, so devoid of emotions, right now she was a machine... her only objective... protect her partner. Whoever dares approach, even if the virgin mary... death. Without moving her gaze away from anyone, she recovered the knife she just threw and moved back until she sat at a moderate distance, away from the heating walls and although she wanted to place Valentine''s head on her lap, she avoided that option, it would decrease her mobility if they ever attacked. She paid attention to the humans, to the cave entrance, even the stone on her back as if something would just crawl out of there and attack them! Everything was an enemy for her right now! ... It was only several minutes later, when all the humans, too frightened to even see her, moved deeper inside the cave, that she finally managed to move her gaze, back to Valentine. Never had she seen his appearance so battered and devoid of life. He could literally turn into dust and disappear right now, something that she feared to the utmost. She wished nothing more than for him to start to regenerate now, but he hadn''t started to. He was totally wasted, not a part of his body wasn''t burned to the crips, like an overcooked pizza, charred black. It pained her so much, but even that pain she ignored, it isn''t a priority, her priority is to take care of him until he recovers! "HMMN~" "...?" She lifted her frosty gaze to the front the moment she heard something amiss... A moan? Suppressed moans and grunts resonated from deeper inside the cave, three women and three men. What they were doing was more than clear... With those disgusting, sweaty and muddy bodies of theirs! ''Disgusting bastards!'' She wished nothing more than to tear them apart, making those disgusting noises when her partner is resting! But to do so, she would have to leave his side. ''Once he''s healed, you''re fucking dead! Hope you contract some kind of prehistoric parasite, you sick bastards!'' Fayette wouldn''t blame the women, they''re not in control, that much she is aware of, but that doesn''t change the anger welling in her heart. She wouldn''t even allow him to hear other woman''s moans! Her waist started to itch and she scratched it, trying to move those thoughts aside, instead, she wanted to focus on him, on his safety. *** It had been half a day, the rain kept pouring on relentlessly and at some point those bastards came back, sweaty and dirty, the females were covered in all kinds of disgusting liquids, obviously, they didn''t even have water to wash themselves with... She could already imagine layers upon layers of... that, deeply concentrated in ''there''. *UGH!* A goosebump ran through her whole body and she resisted the urge to throw up, not that she had much to throw up anyway. The thought alone made her want to puke, this is why she was restraining herself so much despite the apparent desire the two had for one another, even if Valentine still had his internal struggles much to her sadness, he still desired her body physically and so did she. But none of the two wanted to have their first night together... under these... conditions. She repulsed anyone that even dared to! And that wasn''t the only thing! "Do you feel like joining us now?~" One of the men stood several steps away from them, still scared but willing to try his luck again! ''The Audacity!'' "Listen, little shit! I''m not joining any of you now or ever! If you dare ask again, I''ll stick this sharp and bloody knife so high up your ass... that... I don''t even want to imagine!" She only pointed at the knife, ready to start killing at any minute. Avoiding unnecessary fights is a must... they''re six while she''s by herself... she was confident enough to survive, but not confident enough to protect Valentine''s body while doing so. Thankfully, the message got delivered successfully and the man backed off promptly! One of the women approached next, she was totally naked, and her body, although dirty as hell, looked like she was a beauty underneath. "My name is Vera Sidorov... can I speak to you?" She stood at a certain distance, but it wasn''t far enough for Fayette. She''s the woman that was staring at her with a venomous gaze before, and even now, she didn''t conceal it. The blonde threw her a deeper glare, still staring at everyone in the back least this woman was just a distraction. "Stay at least twenty steps away¡­ then you can talk..." With a prison multiplied by a hundred, she answered. The woman groaned in annoyance but did as asked. "Is that your man?" "He is..." That question did nothing but increase Fayette''s poison, ''Why do you even need to ask that question?'' "Good for you, haven''t you by any chance... Seen a black and tall man, outside?" Vera inquired next. "..." Obviously she was referring to that piece of shit, Shaquille, the black man from before. "I haven''t... is it your man?" If she said they beheaded him, it might trigger a fight that she wanted to avoid, therefore she just lied. Maybe the man is still alive out there, burned to the crips, but alive as long as his crystal remains on soil. or maybe¡­ the crystal melted? The woman bit her lips as a response, "You could say he was... But he hasn''t come back, and as you can see, the rain started, so..." Vera had been together with Shaquille for several months, having been the prettiest among all the women that came, he as the leader, naturally claimed her for himself. No other man had touched her in this cave... Until yesterday, he never came back, what happened afterwards was to be expected. "Is that all?" Fayette asked with annoyance, not understanding what else this woman wanted, aside from Valentine, any other human''s presence was simply... uncalled for. "Would you give me one of your knives?" The woman asked coldly! "...?" Lifting her eyebrows, she could only think one thing, ''Is this woman nuts?'' "Do you want to suicide? If you want death... I can kill you right now and get your crystal..." the ex-commander answered with an equal amount of coldness. "I don''t want to suicide, just lend me one of yours, please... I... want revenge." "Are you stupid? Why would I give my enemy a knife? If you want revenge, wait until my man is well again..." She dismissed the girl, clearly not intending to answer any more questions, as the girl she believed was either Russian or Ukrainian, moved back to her spot with the other women, still with a poisonous glare, but with more optimism. ''Don''t worry, you will have your revenge, but you will also die right after...'' Fayette added in her mind, not realising her changes of mindset. Before she wouldn''t think of plundering the lives of the ''innocent'' so easily.... now, ''innocent'' or not, only one life mattered. Chapter 13 - Recovery The next time Valentine opened his eyes, the first thing he perceived was a stinky smell that he had already gotten used to. The clear image of a beautiful lady appeared in front of him, her gaze stared right at the front with bags under her eyes. "Faye¡­" He mumbled, a little tired and still pained, several spots of his face were still charred, let alone the rest of his body! !!! When the blonde heard his voice, it felt like she could finally lower her guard, she''s tired¡­ hungry¡­ thirsty¡­ But she wouldn''t ever lower her guard. "Valentine¡­ finally." Her tired voice spoke with the closest resemblance to relief specially at how he called her, last time she was too worried to care, but not now. Still with the knife in his her hand, she lowered her gaze to stare at him. It had been a day and a half. "How long¡­ has it been?" He inquired, moving his gaze around and analysing the cave. The rain fell on the cave''s entrance, but it seemed like it was about to finish due to the scarce volume of acid falling on the ground. "One day¡­" Fayette answered and he noticed her tired voice. "Sleep, I''ll take over. are you hungry?" "I am¡­" She stared straight at him without even concealing her desire in the slightest. Yes, surely they''re at that stage¡­ He struggled to sit beside her, totally aware he''s likely more capable than her right now, and with the knife, took out a barely ''cooked'' piece of his flesh! !!! "UGH!" He grunted in pain for a minute, not really minding the pain if it''s for her and gave her a good chunk. "Go and¡­ cook it." He stuttered. Their doings never escaped the gaze of the three men and the two women still alive in the cave. Yes¡­ by consensus, a fat girl named Kelly¡­ got brutally eaten by the group. Fayette gave him a briefly glance, not truly wanting to separate, but relented due to the hunger, "Shouldn''t I give you one¡­ and then we can eat together?" "No¡­ I''m okay, go on, I will guard." He caressed her cheeks with a smile and surprised her with a peck. She answered with two and a smile before moving to the cave entrance to cook her ''treasure''. Valentine decided to cut his arm again as cutting his already damaged legs would stop him from performing properly. He analysed the survivors inside, they were staring straight at him. "You''re lucky to have a girl like her! If I was you, I wouldn''t look left and right!" The man with an Asian appearance that looked like the toughest in the street, grasped the ''pretty'' lady against him, fondling on of her moderate sized breasts as she hummed slightly in discomfort, her gaze fixed at Valentine. The other two seemed to fight for their lot, a woman that seemed to be in her fifties with European appearance, her eyes were lifeless. Valentine didn''t answer, instead he focused on Fayette. This woman is slowly but surely, replacing Rose in his mind. He didn''t want to forget the beautiful girl, move on like he had done thrice already¡­ her beautiful face and seductive body for her young age, appeared in his mind every time he stared at Fayette. But this event is receding, Fayette Blanchet¡­ He had never found a partner so reliable before, someone he could give his back to and be totally assured that he wouldn''t get stabbed in the back one day¡­ not even his sister, maybe Francesca would have been like this, if he treasured her well enough. But that''s in the past. Truthfully he wouldn''t look left or right, because what sat in front¡­ is as perfect as it can get. *** It took another day for them to fully regenerate, he was hungry, but to a tolerable degree, Fayette wanted to cut a chunk of her flesh for him, but he told her that not yet. Having regenerated enough, it''s time to go for what they came. The two stood up and walked to the group that was immediately on guard, except for the ''pretty'' girl who sensed the time has come. "Show me where you have all your crystals and ''stones'', I thought you would have food with you but¡­ guess I was wrong, what a waste of a trip." He yelled with annoyance, the sole purpose of coming here was for food, and there was ''food'' in front of him, but not the one he desired. "Why should we!? We are five while you''re just two! are you out of your mind!?" One of the men, the strongest one, suddenly took out a knife. They wouldn''t act violently, but that didn''t mean the would get trampled upon. He didn''t expect that the first thing the man would do is to rob them clean!? Those crystals tasted horrible, but they could still be eaten! His knife was more than a sharp claw cutting straight at his own flesh than a knife. The moment he grasped it, he grunted slightly and blood started to seep through! Valentine sighed and walked forward. "HAAA!!" seeing this, the man attacked while the other two prepared. *SLASH!* A clean cut on his neck was all that was needed, the naked man fell on the floor like a corpse and Fayette started to look for the crystal. "S-Stop, they''re in the deeper end of the cave, I can show you!" One of them spoke and the other nodded! "Don''t follow them! There is a trap with knives in the ground there!" Surprisingly the one to speak was the fifty years old woman! "Y-Yes, it''s a trap!" The pretty girl followed seemed that there is no need to act kind anymore! !!! "Y-YOU SLUT!- AHHHH!!" One of them yelled and intended to take at least one of those whores with him to hell, unaware he''s already in hell¡­ But all he received was a long wolf claw piercing through his body! "HHHAAAAA!!!" The last one attacked releasing there is negotiation here, and just like the others got cleanly manhandled. ''S-So easy¡­'' Vera stared at Valentine with wide eyes, he killed them all so fast! None of these men had any experience fighting. ¡­ "Can I¡­ eat him¡­?" Vera raised her voice and the duo stared at each other¡­ they wanted to feel disgust but couldn''t. "By all means¡­ What''s your name?" Valentine asked the fifty year old woman as Vera took the knife the man had before and proceeded to cut his flesh frantically to eat it! ''That slut Kelly was just a bunch of fat and no flesh!'' Inwardly she said maniacally, intending to follow Fayette''s example, she couldn''t believe they ate raw when they could have cooked so simply. *** While Fayette took the other man''s "T-Thank you for ''saving'' me¡­ My name is Elke..." The woman introduced herself with a low voice, her eyes a little more livelier than before. Elke was very polite and her nakedness seemed to not affect her in the slightest. Valentine lifted his eyebrows at her name, "Are you German?" "¡­?" The woman tilted her head in confusion. "Sorry, I don''t recognise that state? I''m from Constantinople, could it be that you''re from the North?" The woman inquired, she could only guess giving Valentine''s slightly tanned skin that she wasn''t familiar with, only having seen that bulky bastard and his so far¡­ ''Maybe in the far north, they have this complexion?'' She didn''t know. Her question left Valentine baffled, ''Constantinople, far north?'' "Do you recognise the name, Ahmed I?" Fayette spoke next with crossed arms, still not aware about why Valentine cared about random people''s backgrounds, but it was certainly interesting to meet people from all places and times in here. Anything is posible! "Ahmed I? Sorry, I don''t recognise that name?" Elke asked with bewilderment. Fayette furrowed her brows, "Then, what''s the name of the ruler of your territory?" The woman''s gaze paled, "Do you refer to the sultan, Suleiman?" ¡­ Fayette and Valentine caught up onto that incredibly quick. ''It''s interesting the diversity of people in this place¡­'' Clearly time is in a disarray in this place. "I see, you''re from the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman the Magnificent¡­" the two concluded and calculated the age straight away. "Y-You''re not?" Elke asked in confusion. "No, we''re not¡­ anyway, show us where they store their crystals and stones." He thought it is very interesting however, he only wanted to know what odds there were that he found Magnus in here. He pointed his knife at her, not totally trusting her despite her predicament, but his gaze didn''t contain maliciousness. His father could have come here millions of years ago if hell was even that old and died, or he could be here living now¡­ and the last option, it might take him a million more years before he comes¡­ He only wanted to know if there is a pattern in which they''re sent here, so far¡­ there isn''t. "The stones are all buried there, he got them from the beast, we don''t really know what their use is except eating them, but they taste horrible, so¡­ he just placed them inside a bag of fur and dug a hole¡­ be careful with those places, there are holes there with knives inside" Elke answered and walked to the point where several stones were ''arranged'', she didn''t mean to be pointed at after seeing Fayette and Valentine''s behaviour, she noticed they weren''t violent¡­ at least not to innocent people. The duo entered cautiously and looked everywhere before dwelling further, there was minimal light in here. No one would really think there was anything to regard in this cave. "And the crystals?" "We don''t know where the crystals are, I think Shaquille carried them on himself all the time¡­" Vera''s voice spoke, it''s seems she finished her ''meal''. She walked closer to Valentine, technically invading his private area, "I can dig it for you, do they have any use?" Vera didn''t notice Fayette clenching her hand tightly. But Valentine did¡­ he gave the ''pretty'' girl a brief glance of disgust and moved aside. "We don''t know their use." He said and sat on a corner together with Fayette. Elke sat opposite to him with her legs crossed, her arms covering her chest. Maybe due to his gentleman behaviour, she felt ashamed to show him her body like this¡­ Ever since she came here she had to do such dirty stuff with so many men¡­ all of them treated her like a whore, now that someone was treating her like a lady, it felt weird. "We have eaten several of them, but they taste so horrible¡­ Yet they do sate hunger¡­" Vera dug with a log and shortly after took out a bag that had three shiny big stones, the same ones they obtained from those wolves. She placed the bag beside him and intended to seat by his side, but Fayette''s glare, that was colder than the Netherfrost, impacted her with the strength of a thousand needles! ''If you so much as dare to sit there¡­'' She bit her lips and moved to sit beside Elke, Fayette''s glare didn''t stop her from trying her next card. She sat down, hugging her knees and stared at him, waiting for him to answer her preposition, but¡­ Moving her legs to the side, her squished pussy was totally visible for him! Valentine however, couldn''t feel anything else other than disgust. "If you don''t close your fucking legs and behave in front of my man, I''LL HAVE ELKE EAT YOUR DISGUSTING CORPSE!" !!! Fayette Blanchet just lost it! ''You dare seduce him in front of me!? DEATH!'' Her explosion got interrupted when Valentine took her and placed her on his lap! !!! "Are you jealous?~" He whispered on her ear and a gallon of blood pumped from her heart, coating her pretty face! He used her same card! "You looked¡­" She whispered back, crossing her arms underneath her huge chest and avoiding his gaze. "God gave me eyes to see¡­" "And I''m going to gouge them out!" "Oh so you''re indeed jealous~" He smelled her stinky hair that needed a deep washing, still, he loved it. ''It''s hers¡­'' She gritted her teeth but refused to talk! !!! At that moment, his hand that had been caressed her waist, moved up and squished her fur covered big breasts! She gulped a mouthful and moved her waist above his crotch a little, instinctively. "D-Don''t get naughty, you know we can''t yet¡­" "Why is that? We can share piss but not this?~" "Don''t say that in front of people! This and that are different!!" He smirked and continued to press her chest together, looking at her cleavage from above. "Your breasts are the biggest I''ve ever had." He teased but got nothing out of the Commander. He isn''t lying, he has bedded or been in a relationship with lots of women, but so far, Fayette Blanchet is the sexiest¡­ Maybe due to her futuristic genes and whatnot. Even after being covered in layers of dirt after so many weeks of wandering, her body is still highly desirable. "Am I supposed to say ''thank you''? these babies are also the biggest you will ever have~ now stop or you''re really going to turn on my switch and we won''t be able to stop¡­ See, the rain stopped." She pointed to the entrance where the rain had certainly stopped, but they knew by experience that they needed to wait several hours before coming out. ¡­ Their whole conversation was stared by the two females. ''They''re so into each other¡­'' Elke couldn''t help but think and even thought they''re cute. She thought Fayette is very lucky to find such a handsome, strong but at the same time gentle person in this unknown world. She''s been here for months, and so far he''s the first one she has seen. Meanwhile, Vera stared at Fayette with outright jealousy and envy. ''How can she be so lucky?!'' She didn''t know their story, but for them to be so chummy and confident with one another in this accursed land¡­ It wouldn''t be surprising if they were together from the very beginning. Her ''relationship'' with Shaquille had been totally different¡­ she was just a delightful pussy ready to be fucked¡­ In exchange, she would get flesh to eat and a hit in the face every so often when he was pissed off! It might sound like a bad bargain, but it was a paradise compared to what the other girls in this cave went through. A total of eleven women have arrived in this cave ever since she arrived, only two remained¡­ Shaquille had taken all their crystals when he left. Now a man like this was in front of her, but there was a big breasted barrier in between. "Are the two of you leaving?" She asked offhandedly after reluctantly sitting on a more... prudish, way. "Yes¡­ In a few hours, there is nothing more for us to get here¡­ moreover, I have a hunch¡­" Valentine answered still holding Fayette in his arms. ''I think I finally realised.... think outside the box.'' Chapter 14 - To Carry On Our Path "Yes¡­ In a few hours, there is nothing more for us to get here, moreover, I have a hunch¡­" Valentine answered still holding Fayette in his arms. "What?" His Lady immediately got attracted the moment he realised a discovery. "I had my doubts before, but I think, the ''Dark Clouds'' are attracted towards big groups of people, or maybe even just groups of living beings... Every time we have seen one, they''re following or intending to float above." !!! "You''re saying... Their purpose is to exterminate?" Vera''s eyes paled, after all, she had been here for a long time, and the black clouds so many times a week had become a casual occurrence. "That makes sense, but there''s still the thing with the flames..." Fayette tried to reason why everything occurred, but it was impossible to come out with a ''reasonable'' cause within this ''fantasy'' world they were currently living in. "Flames?" Elke tilted her head in confusion but the next second her eyes opened widely. "We have found something about the flames before!" Vera yelled, attracting their attention. "What did you find?" Fayette stared at the woman with a sharp glare, full of uncertainty, ''Is she going to spout nonsense?'' "Deeper inside the cave... Before we had a flaming log to see in the dark, back when we first arrived here... Right now you won''t be able to see it without light but... Someone left a message there, and there''s also... A weird skull." !!! "What did the message say?" He asked with interest, could it be that someone resolved the way to get out of here!? "It said, ''Follow the Flame''... We don''t know what flame is it referring to, as I said, there is a skull next to it." Vera finalised her summary. ''Follow the flame...'' "What other flame could it possibly be?" Fayette rolled her eyes and stood up from Valentine''s lap. "Where are you going?" He inquired with worry as she was still stumbling a little. "I''m going to get a wisp of fire..." "Wait until the floor cools a little, then we can try..." "Uhm, excuse me... If you''re going to leave, could you do me a favour before you do it?" The three of them stopped and focused on Elke, who had been staring at Valentine with a complicated gaze and fidgeting hands. "What is it? If it''s reasonable, I will help you." She didn''t seem like a bad female, truthfully, if this is truly hell, then the ''system'' to determine someone''s sin is truly complex. He for one didn''t consider he had directly killed anyone that didn''t deserve it, but he had indirectly killed lots of innocents, let alone he had ''killed'', the act in itself should be a sin according to the bible. The same should count for Fayette and probably this Elke too. "Could you kill me?" She answered with a ''smile'' that wasn''t very joyful. ... "Why?" He only wanted to know, if that''s her desire, he wouldn''t stop her... Living in this accursed place... It''s not easy. He and Fayette were lucky to be skilled in the arts of surviving and scheming, but for those that weren''t... Their fate was to be someone else'' plaything, he didn''t know what would happen after ''dying'' in hell, but surely, it can''t be any worse than this. ... "I... Have been sullied in the worst ways possible... This place is hot and horrible, I''m dirty beyond measure, to the point I feel disgusted by my own body... I''m sure, the two of you won''t carry my weight on your shoulders nor would I want to weigh on you, so... That''s the only option I have, that or wait here until someone else comes and makes me their plaything... I don''t know how to defend myself. Before they wouldn''t kill me, I thought that maybe everything would finish when they ''ate'' me, but it never came to it." "..." "I only wish that you will give me a clean and worthy death, please... I''m very glad to have met you, were I a little younger and cleaner, were you a single man, perhaps, there could have been something... But, right now, I don''t see it happening." She smiled self deprecatingly, but her eyes stared at him with immense gratitude. Knowing that those that sullied her died a painful death, she couldn''t feel any more vindicated. His eyes that had been staring her with a certain degree of contempt had thoroughly changed now. Vera gave her ''acquainted'' a complicated glance, should she follow the same steps? Did she really want to live in this place? But if this is hell, what''s beyond this? Will it be worse than this if I die? "You''re an amazing woman, Elke, you have gained my respects..." Fayette sat down beside Elke and grasped the woman''s dirty hands. "Thank you, but I think you''re overestimating me... I''m... just a coward." The ottoman female continued to deprecate herself. "No... You''re a woman willing to perish with whatever honour is left for you, unwilling to be a weight for those you feel gratitude with, if you don''t mind me asking, could you tell me, what is your sin? Why are you here?" "Do you truly believe this place to be hell?" "If this is not hell, what else can it be?" Fayette smirked, not truly frightened by the prospect of being in hell, if anything she has felt better in this past month than several of her last years on Earth. "... I... If I had to say what my sin is... I killed my husband and daughter..." !!! ''What the hell!?'' The three of them couldn''t help but exclaim in their minds! She doesn''t look like someone that would do such a thing at all!! "Could... Could you tell us why?" Vera''s lips quivered, gone was the image of the humble and victim fifty years old lady! Now she could only see a psychopath! "They were having an affair! I returned to our hut once after taking care of our farm, that day I finished earlier than usual and found them... Fucking! I couldn''t take it... I took a knife and massacred the two of them!" Upon recalling those memories, it was as if her whole persona changed! Her foot itched and she felt like exploding! "My God..." "When I killed him, my daughter started to scream, saying that he had abused her first, that I should forgive her... She was fifteen years old... She said he started when she was twelve... And told her if she told me anything... The two of us would get murdered!" "..." None of them could really utter a word. "I didn''t believe it, I was too angry to even pity her. So I killed her as well. Now I think... She wasn''t lying, I was always so focused on our farm that I didn''t pay enough attention to her... That''s my sin... I got executed when my crime got discovered, that''s how I got here." ... Is she a sinner? She killed her husband and daughter... Did they deserve it? Surely the bastard did but, what about her daughter? There is no way to judge who''s right or who''s wrong but... ''God'' deemed her as a sinner, and that''s why she''s here. Is that true justice? They didn''t know. "Show me your crystal." He said and she knew it was time. "Are you sure you don''t want... Revenge or something? That bastard might be roaming this land you know!?" Fayette tried to convince her, thinking that maybe this woman deserved to live. "I''m not truly interested in revenge I just... Want to forget." She presented her leg awkwardly and the itch... Stopped. She was careful to not show him her inappropriate place, wanting to act like a proper lady until the very end. When he saw her leg, however, they were surprised to see there was no tattoo in there... "The other leg...?" Valentine moved to take the other, but she shook her head with wide eyes. "N-No... It should have been that leg, where is it?" ... Valentine was now truly bewildered... They reached all over her body, not even bothering to see her breasts and vagina anymore, but she... Didn''t have a tattoo!! ''What''s going on?'' "I swear... I had it a few days ago." That''s the last time she saw it with her eyes. He decided to leave the matter to rest, as the path to leave this place should be cooler now. "If I do it now, you will only suffer so... I can do it later. You can travel with us in the meantime." He concluded, if she doesn''t have a tattoo then... "Are we leaving now?" His lady inquired as they all stood up, Elke was happy enough with that arrangement, she somehow knew what he intended to do. "Yes..." He walked up to the entrance and noticed the soil was very hot but... Passable, they needed to move, he now fully intended to follow the trees. "I¡­ can I go with you?" Vera finally asked after some consideration, was she going to stay here by herself?! "No, you can''t." Fayette''s answer came as fast as lightning, there was no consideration, no nothing! Valentine only lifted his eyebrows a little, if Fayette doesn''t want... Then they''re not taking her, in fact, even if she came, she''d probably not be able to keep up with them. "Why can you take her and not me!? I have been nothing but friendly to you ever since we met, but you keep constantly attacking me!" She yelled in outrage with crossed arms and even gave Valentine a pitiful glance as if asking for support. ''You''re a man after all, surely having another one-!'' All she received was indifference as he turned around to leave with Elke in tow! The two left and only Fayette and Vera remained. "Friendly when you''re not showing your dirty cunt to my man... I''m warning you, if we go together I will end up killing you, so it''s better for you if you stay here or go look for your black mandingo out there. Perhaps he will be alive out there, we cut his head off and left him for the rain to take care so I don''t know... In any case, I don''t want you near him... Did you get it? I haven''t killed you because you haven''t given me a big enough reason, stop working hard on creating one!" By the time Fayette''s cold rant finished, she had already left the cave and the scared Vera got left there to sort out her life. She grit her teeth and tears rolled down her eyes, ''W-What am I going to do now?'' *** *** "I think that''s a little cold but... I can''t really judge you, we''re dead weight... None of us has ever gone hunting, we just stayed there all the time like prisoners, raped and abused..." After wearing one of the deceased men''s rags, Elke managed to cover herself to some extent and walked beside Valentine. Valentine could only sigh, indeed, that''s the fate of the weak, his plan was simple... Take her around with them for some days as they continued their journey and when she''s unaware or distracted, strike down. She deserved at least that much. The fact that she didn''t have a tattoo still marred his mind. It didn''t take long for Fayette to catch up, and the three promptly walked following the flame''s trail until no more burned trees showed up and they kept on going on a straight line. *** Days went by swiftly as they kept their path, as expected, not a single living being. The more they walked, the forest became progressively more lifely, and there were more green leaves than before, however, there were also blood-red trees with several red leaves that none of them had ever seen. For them, this change of scenery must mean something... They had gone through weeks and weeks of walking without a change, but now that they were following the flame''s trails, they were seeing a different forest, one that seemed not to be raided by black clouds. In this particular section, they found a beautiful clearing, there was no lake or water pool, but the floor had a certain degree of humidity. ''Could it be that there are no black clouds, because almost no one reaches this stage?'' He thought deeply, and this idea was within Fayette''s mind as well. Elke saw this landscape and marvelled, ever since she came into this world¡­ this was the most beautiful thing she had seen. "Valentine..." she called with a relaxed melody. "Yes?" "You can do it now... I know you have waited to give me the best final possible, I want to perish here, please..." She requested with a smile, this being the best scenery through this whole accursed netherworld. ... Fayette and Valentine stared at one another, the former seemed reluctant, having spent a few days with the woman, they became rather good friends, but her priorities hadn''t changed, neither had theirs. They used all the food amongst them, as expected an additional mouth to feed had been too much, but they didn''t mind. She would not stay with them forever, and life here wasn''t simple. "Very well, how about we stay one day here so that you can enjoy the scenery?" Valentine showed her a kind smile and accepted with the most authentic smile possible, unbeknownst to her, he moved his hand inside his fur rag and grabbed a clean knife... "That would be too much to ask, but thank you, I appreciate it~" With a joyful expression she turned around to look at the pretty landscape, naive and innocent like a beautiful withering butterfly at the end of its days, unaware that this would be the last thing she saw. ... *FIIUSH* *THUD!* Her delicate head, still smiling, fell on Fayette''s arms. Valentine grasped her body before it fell and placed her on the ground. No words were said, Elke, the Ottoman would remain in their hearts. As a proof that not all that come to hell are necessarily evil, her authenticity had laid her heart bare to them. The duo placed her body on the ground and waited for several minutes. "There is no movement... She truly didn''t have a crystal." Fayette said, containing a single tear... Life had been simply too cruel with this woman, thankfully, she met them. Valentine only nodded his head in approval, closing Elke''s beautiful but slightly dirty eyelids. They buried her at that place. "Is this why you were called the ''Bringer of Euthanasia''?" Fayette inquired as they prepared to leave, slightly annoyed at... Something. Euthanasia, the act of delivering a person''s death with the most painless method, to relieve suffering... "No... It''s not because of that." Through his short career he had been called that not because he intended to end suffering, but because of his silent and swift assassination. Most of the time, shots to the head and clean beheading. Regardless of the enemy''s background, whether they were the evilest of individuals, or simply a house burglar... He''d deliver them to hell in the cleanest way possible. This is the first time in his life he has killed someone¡­ to relieve suffering. Chapter 15 - A Dead End? They only stayed there for half an hour, mourning Elke before they set up to move again. "How long are you planning to conceal yourself so horribly?" Fayette sighed in annoyance after they left the clearing. "..." Valentine kept his silence, waking forward looking for any threats, but there were none. From a three a fidgeting woman came out and stared deeply not at Valentine, but at Fayette. "Please, I''m not going to try anything with him if that''s what worries you... I just, want to keep living, let me go with you, I won''t be a freeloader... I will fight if necessary! You don''t need to feed me when I''m hungry, I just want to follow." Vera begged. If there is anyone capable of leaving this damned forest, if such a thing is even possible, is them. And although she deeply envied Fayette for finding such a man here, that was the least of her concerns presently... Right now she only wanted to survive and she wouldn''t be staying in that cave by herself until someone came to abuse her. At least these two would ignore her and show her the way out... "You can follow us, but you''re totally responsible for your own security." The man asserted and Fayette was okay with that condition, as long as she stayed far enough, there shouldn''t be a problem. She threw Vera a knife. "Use that to defend yourself, that''s my last wisp of humanism towards you...If you try something funny..." Her words grey progressively colder! "I won''t!" Vera took the knife showed her appreciation, at least now she had something to use to defend herself! *** After deciding their arrangement, they kept going ahead... Several days went without an important event taking place. At some point, they stopped spotting green leaves again, with the forest getting charred... A Black Cloud must have passed by here, but there wasn''t a single burning three to point the way. "Should we get going straight?" Fayette asked having eaten a piece of his flesh daily, and he too tasting hers once every two days. Vera stumbled behind them, with her sheer will, hungry as hell. But not daring to ask them for their flesh... She even considered taking her own flesh, but the thought seemed so... Disgusting, for some reason eating other''s is okay but not her own. Still, she''s determined to follow them! Valentine stopped in his tracks, they have no way to tell if they''re going straight or not in this forest. At some point, he had actually hoped to catch a glimpse of a black cloud only for the sake of following it for directions, but none has appeared so far, maybe three people are not enough to attract it. He even thought about staring at the trees and seeing the way they burned. Hinting at the fact that if the flame was leaning, there should be a part of the tree that''s more burned than the other. Such an experiment was inconclusive as if they were not allowed to ''cheat''. The whole tree was burned to the crisp maybe even the root. They''re running out of options. "Why don''t we just wait here? If a cloud was here before, maybe there are people or creatures that managed to survive it and they will come to either this section that''s still untouched or the other..." Vera stuttered a suggestion that caught their interest. "... That''s not a bad idea, though there is the chance that there are no survivors. If the black cloud''s purpose is to ''hunt'' for living beings, then I believe getting caught in them is surely a death sentence, it wouldn''t make sense otherwise." Fayette reasoned. "..." Valentine acknowledged both of their opinions. "Let''s stay here for a day or two, I''ll keep scouting above the healthy trees to see if we catch a glimpse of one, if we don''t... then we will keep going straight." The women nodded and that was it. *** Three days later, they had yet to catch a glimpse of one... Their mental health had started to deteriorate drastically. Vera spent most of the day laying on the ground, it''s clear the hunger is killing her, she didn''t dare eat her own flesh. The two noticed that their regeneration is starting to slow down every time they take a chunk of flesh and give it to each other. Something is happening that they don''t know! "Valentine, we have to do something, we can''t stay here for much more..." Thirst and hunger had taken the best out of Fayette, the only thing she could do, was to comfort herself by hugging him as hard as she could. Valentine knew very well... "I will go, you two stay here, I''ll make sure to bring food..." He stood up only to be harshly grasped by his partner whose'' gaze was as cold as a frosted lake! "DON''T YOU DARE... LEAVE ME HERE, VALENTINE WAGNER!" After giving him ''the look'' that a woman gives her man when he''s in deep shit, all she received was a deep kiss on her lips! "Hmn!~" She moaned slightly into the kiss, answering with a fervour of her own as the two rolled on the ground! Vera stared at all this and bit her lips before turning to the other side. "This won''t work for you forever!" After their kiss finished, Fayette yelled in outrage, but her blush was more than apparent. Valentine kissed her nose and placed her on the ground with a smirk, "Trust me, it will~ You don''t need to worry, if I feel like I am about to die... I''ll come here, that way we can leave together." "Promise?" She asked with a smile, dying no longer holding so much meaning or fright, as long as he''s with her. "Promise." "Sounds like a death flaw to me." She pouted and evaded his gaze. "It isn''t! When have I lied to you?" ... She wanted to find an instance but couldn''t! ''Dammit!'' "I just want to know something." "...?" "You and I... We are a thing, correct?" Now she was truly not looking at his eyes at all! "... Pft!" "VALENTINE WAGNER, DON''T YOU DARE LAUGH AT MY EXPENSE!" Once again she received a kiss, much tender and a lot more possessive. "Is that even a question? I love you, Fayette Blanchet, Commander of the French Army~" His kind gaze said it all even if the words didn''t leave his mouth. *THUMB!* A loud palpitation, a deep connection. She bit her lips and regarded him with myriad feelings, however, in the end, Fayette Blanchet is still Fayette Blanchet! "Fuck! Couldn''t you say it when we were at that beautiful clearing!? Don''t say it when we''re about to die dammit!" "Better late than never..." He smiled wryly placing their foreheads together. "... I love you too, Valentine Wagner, Bringer of Euthanasia... Come back to me or I will haunt you!" tears left her eyes at that moment, she''s happy, but she''s worried and also scared... When had she ever felt scared? She''s not afraid to die... She''s just afraid, that either of them dies... And the other isn''t present. For months they''ve been together and now they''re going to separate because she''s too weak to help... "Hide if you see anything abnormal, also..." He gave Vera a brief glance, "Don''t be too hard on her... there is strength in numbers, she might be a very good subordinate... so far, she''s shown willpower." He stood up leaving an annoyed Fayette, left the bag of stones and crystals he had been carrying and only remained with his rags and two knives. With a fast sprint, he ran towards any particular direction while cutting signals on the trees, probably to lead his way back to them. When he was far enough, she suddenly heard it. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" He started to shout, loudly! ''So that''s your plan...'' She smirked in resignation, ''I also have to, work hard!'' He said he would come, so he will definitely come back with food! She sat up and walked towards Vera, stumbling several feet beside the bewildered girl. The two stared at one another, Fayette didn''t lack female subordinates when she was alive... In fact, most of her subordinates were females. In order to reach her commander spot, she had to be thrice as strong as the male officers in her generation. Thrice as intelligent, thrice as smart. Living in a society where political and military spots were mostly given to men, she always had to do thrice the effort. And she asked the same from her subordinates, no, she asked more! Taking a knife, she cut her flesh in the same spot where she had done dozens of times! "UGGH!!" Vera understood what she was trying, but didn''t expect her to do it for her. Taking a big enough chunk, Fayette gasped in pain, probably one of the biggest ones she had ever taken, still, she didn''t lower her guard in front of Vera. "Eat it..." She threw the piece of flesh on the ground, they had been eating raw for the past few days, she had truly never lived in such harsh conditions, and hoped this would end soon. "Why?" She didn''t understand, right now... Why would she help her after everything that has happened? "Just shut up and eat it... This doesn''t mean anything, I still want you far from him, understand?! But if we want to survive, we have to help each other." "... Thank you very much." Vera nodded and grabbed the piece of flesh, then ate it... Like she had done a lot of times before. Fayette just sat on guard restraining the painful waves that came from her arm, intending not to stare at Vera too much, a part of her was still reluctant to do this, but if Vera turned out to be a total waste, she could always just reproach Valentine for his choice... "He''s a very wonderful man, you''re truly lucky to have him..." "...?" Fayette lifted her eyebrows and stared at the eating Vera. The latter''s red eyes snickered at her, "He''s such a wonderful man, I wonder if he''s that good in bed, you don''t deserve him~" "What did you say...?" Fayette thought she heard wrong, yes, she must have heard wrong. "I said, he must be a big stud in bed, can''t wait to test him. Aaall the way... up to my uterus where only Shaquille has reached~" As if to make sure this woman heard her words properly, she moved the piece of flesh from her bloodied mouth with a wicked smile and drew lascivious circles on her belly. !!! With unprecedented wrath, Fayette forsook the pain coming from her arm and tackled Vera! "I''M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" Her hands squeezed Vera''s neck as the latter struggled fiercely, but a smile never left her face! "You didn''t want to take... me... Because you know, I can replace you easily... All he needs is to taste me once, slut!" Vera''s maniacal laughter didn''t correspond with her gradually paling expression, she couldn''t overpower Fayette at all! The ex-commander''s eyes turned blood red, her waist itched like never before, it almost hurt! But she couldn''t she couldn''t let this bitch live! ''I will kill you, I will kill you before he comes back!'' Vera''s irises seemed to leave her eyesockets but she never stopped laughing! ''Just a little more, just a little more!'' Fayette''s mind rejoiced at the thought of this bitch finally leaving them be, for the last few days she''s been constantly walking beside them, training to get HER man''s gaze, she''s tired of it, she will get rid of her now! Her waist itched, so hard! IT ITCHED! *** *** "Is anything wrong?" "Huh?" Fayette opened her beautiful eyelids and stared at the eating Vera, who in exchange gave her a concerned glance. "You just froze there for a minute, is there a problem?" "... N-No, keep on guard." ''Is that really... what I am thinking?'' Fayette''s eyelids fluttered in worry and she scratched her itching waist, it felt so good to scratch it.... Chapter 16 - The Way Out "HAAAAAAAAA!!!" Valentine ran as fast as he could, trying to cover as much time as possible in the shortest amount of time. He wanted to be back in a day at most, as ridiculous as it sounded. His strategy? Draw an imaginary big circle and shout his lungs out, attracting everything in the perimeter, hopefully, the circle would have a diameter of two or three kilometres, with enough look, something would be around and he would be able to attract it all. "HAAAAAAA!!!" His hopeful shouts were relentless, a wolf, a bear, dammit even a chicken, anything! After half a day of running, the situation was getting grim as his energy became scarcer and scarcer. *GROWLLL!!* That was until a light of hope resonated, that is what he had been expecting! In the distance, to his ninety o''clock, the growls of a beast made themselves known! With a smile on his face and brandishing his trusty knives he ran as fast as he could, what he found surprised him greatly, to the point that he truly didn''t know what to do. Four big wolves with dark blue fur, their height bigger than him by several feet, showed up with hungry expressions! *GROWLL!!* ''This isn''t going to be easy. These monsters really do stay in packs!'' That''s likely the reason as to why it is so odd to find a beast by itself, even beasts don''t survive this accursed forest! The wolves wouldn''t let their prey even think about running! They all lounged at him together! !!! Evading the closest wolf, Valentine''s eyes lost their colour and his rational side took the steering wheel! ''These numbers, there is only one chance!'' *WUUUUUU!!!* Two of the wolves, instead of chasing after him, started to run around, encircling him! Seeing this, his gaze became even more stern! The two wolves kept rampaging at him, he continued his pirouettes and manages to cut one of the wolves'' legs but the other one caught an opening and struck forward! *SLASH!* "UGH!!" Grunting in pain, he managed to evade enough to be graced and injured with a deep cut, but not deep enough to reach his organs, blood spewed everywhere as he used the momentum to run back where another wolf was there to await him! *GROWLLL!!* Luckily the wolf jumped intending to pin him down, giving him the chance to slide down! He placed his knife in position to cut down the wolf''s belly intending to ending once and for all, but... ''No, I can do it!'' He refrained from continuing that move and used the momentum to leave the encirclement before running forward! ''I need to make time!'' *** A whole day had passed now and Valentine had yet to come back, Fayette was starting to worry, not a single soul had passed by them either. "Do you think he''s okay?" Vera hugged her knees and inquired, even now she was still naked, not truly uncomfortable as the heat didn''t leave her with much desire to dress other than the sake of protecting her ''purity'' and self-worth. A purity and self-worth that she possessed no longer. "..." Fayette wouldn''t talk, she could only hope... Hope and survive. She wanted to go out there and help, but her energy was simply so scarce, she didn''t even have the confidence to run for long. Her whole time was spent thinking about how their bodies worked... Why does Valentine have so much energy compared to her? She refused to believe him being male was the only reason, not only that, she was genetically modified to overcome such disadvantages yet she couldn''t seem to even come close to Valentine in the slightest. Not only that but there was also their ''regeneration''. Why could they regenerate, but still feel extreme mental exhaustion? And why was their regeneration being slowed down by consuming their own flesh? All those thoughts rolled around her mind until the world started to dim in colour. Her eyes opened widely and she stared up! "Wait here!" She told vera and started to crawl up a tree! Upon reaching the top of the big tree as Valentine usually does, she looked to the distance, in the direction where Valentine had gone! It''s a dark cloud! She came down again and grasped her knives! "Let''s go!" She pulled the bewildered Vera''s hand and they ran! "W-Where are we going!? He said that we should wait here!" "Do you want to sit like a princess or do you want to help!?" She yelled and released Vera''s hand, stopping for the briefest of moments only to consider Vera''s answer... Inwardly hoping the woman would just stay there, but also... Willing to give her a chance. "..." Vera bit her lips and it didn''t take long for her to think, she grasped Fayette''s hand and nodded! Like that, the two started to run frantically through the woods in the direction of the black clouds! *** "AHH!!" *SLASH!* *GROWLLL!!* Valentine''s bloodied body ran through the woods, jumping through branches and evading three fricking hyperactive wolves! There was also a little detail, he was missing an arm! The smell of burning wood permeated through his nostrils and he knew it is the time! Gazing at the distance while running, he could see the burning wood and smoke creeping through and making its way towards him and the wolves several kilometres away! His gaze became sharp and a white fire shone through his eyes, he stopped running abruptly and turned around! !!! One of the wolves that lounged at him got seemingly disturbed by the change of pace, giving Valentine enough time to cut it''s claw! *SLASH!* *WUUUU!* *GROWL!* The two other wolves wouldn''t give him time to regain himself, having already lost one of their own, they were more than a little upset! This brawl continued for several minutes, more than Valentine could actually tolerate! He gritted his teeth at the approaching flames, they were less than a kilometre away now! Two heavily injured wolves remained, he needed to leave just one! Just when the two wolves were preparing to lounge at him for the last match, one missing a frontal paw and the other with a deep and bloody cut on its neck, two random shouts resonated! "AHHHH!!!" From within the woods, two women came running with knives! *SLASH!* Fayette was fast enough to plunge her knife on the first wolve''s ribs and keep it there for dear life! Vera, however, wasn''t so lucky, the wolf managed to evade and she fell pitifully on the ground. Valentine saw a chance, not even bothering to ask why they were there and sprang to the last wolf, plunging his knife right on its injured neck! *SLASH!* *WUUUU!!* Blood flowed everywhere coating his face as an important artery got sliced open and the wolf fell on the ground pitifully! "Valentine, we have to go!" Fayette yelled resisting herself from shouting about his missing arm, the black cloud was just upon them, they wouldn''t have enough time to round it! "Take a huge chunk of flesh and let''s go!" He yelled back, taking the core from the wolf''s head, he had heard Vera before, talking about how this thing isn''t appetizing or good at all, but still... It sates hunger. If necessary he would eat this damned thing! Vera helped Fayette dismember one of the wolf corpses, taking some fur and a big chunk of flesh! "GO GO NOW!" Having taken a good enough loot, Valentine ran towards them having only taken the wolf''s stone. He ran signalling the way and the two girls followed. Vera ran as fast as she could, but she was slacking behind by a big margin, still, she was relentless! The acid rain started to fall upon them, but Valentine saw the light when the limit of the rain wasn''t as far as he expected it to be, whether this cloud was smaller or whatever the reason was, he didn''t know... Several drops of rain flowed and hit his skin, churning it as the pain he had already used to got him once again. He and Fayette managed to sneak out of it with several charred parts, but more healthy than anything else, only Vera remained... ... They waited and two minutes after, close by a woman ran with a highly charred body and several chunks of fur and flesh in her arms! "AHHHH!!!" She yelled in pain and crawled through the dirty ground as if trying to use it to cool her body down! Sadly, it was almost as hot as a frying pan! Two pairs of arms pulled her and the three ran far away from the clouds. Falling against a big tree for some respite and staring at the spreading flames that burned the world as the darkness took over the sky. Vera had long passed out. They managed to escape once again, breathing deeply, with deep burns and cuts, but alive... "Oh my god... I''m telling you this place is going to be the end of us..." Fayette closed her eyes to catch up her breath, it is simply impossible to survive in this place. It made sense, were they not able to regenerate... They would have died the same day they arrived... "I''m glad it''s finished... Valentine..." "...?" The man finally managed to direct his beloved couple a troubled glance. "I want to have a bath so bad..." Fayette let out her frustration. "I swear if we manage to find somewhere with water... I''ll stay inside for a whole month!" He wanted to rant, about his reckless behaviour, how could she not know his plan. Stall for the time until the clouds appeared due to the many living beings together... Just so they could follow the flames'' lead. But she didn''t dare, he had been doing all that for their sake! Her new boyfriend extended his arm behind her neck and pulled her. !!! The kiss was so sudden she didn''t know how to respond, eventually she just dreamily followed his lead. "You and I both. To have met you amidst hundreds of millions of possibilities... I''m the luckiest man in Hell." Valentine hugged his girlfriend with one arm as his vision drifted amidst the flaming forest. Fayette kissed his cheek with infatuation, rejoicing at the thought of having a bath together with him. "You and I both~" Chapter 17 - The Course Of Our Lives Within this cursed forest of survival. A trio thrived with all their strengths through every challenge they encountered. ¡­ "HAAAA!!!" Vera swung her arm that brandished an improvised knife towards a moderate sized wolf! The wolf evaded her strikes easily, and lounged! *GROWL!* The wolf moved its claw at a speed to abrupt for her to react and three deep wounds appeared on her arm. "AAHHH!!" Vera groaned miserably but refused to back down, this has happened many times already, this time she has to at least kill one! ''Remember¡­ You''re weak, you don''t have fighting instincts, you don''t have the strength, you don''t have anything¡­ But you have your will to thrive and survive, you have a mind capable of scheming, use it!'' Fayette''s words resonated in her mind and she ran towards a nearby tree! Nearby at least four corpses of wolves lay on the ground, dismembered. Fayette and Valentine stood on their spots, witnessing Vera''s progress¡­ In several months she had changed from being a helpless girl, to a woman capable of defending herself with a knife. They discovered that it was imposible to improve themselves physically¡­ Their bodies regenerated, but it is as if they always regenerated to the stage they were when they arrived in this world. If a man lost a leg on earth and came here, he wouldn''t ever regenerate that leg. They had witnessed one such case. Another thing that had changed, is that they were forced to ingest several of the stones they took from animals, they tasted worse than shit and even made them feel Ill sometimes, but there was no choice. Eating their own flesh had resulted to be a bad practice that had to be stopped. Valentine had even perceived an increase of his vision while Fayette had experimented, according to her, ''An increase in the size of her mammal organs'' Something he could joyfully confirm even as outrageous as it was for her breasts to increase in size even more¡­ He hoped they stopped growing or they would reach a stage where they would no longer be appealing for him¡­ Aside from that she said her sense of smell also increased, something they couldn''t test just like his vision, it was simple a perspective, after being adapted for so long to their own bodies, they were bound to know when something changed. Vera wasn''t different, she seemed to have obtained a ''spatial sense'' or what experts like them call, the capacity to sense their surroundings to some extent. It''s an ability that Valentine possessed and Fayette envied. For the past months they had been training her. At some point she would have to grow her winds and leave, and after gaining a certain degree of likeness for the girl, the two expected she would be able to hold herself by the time they separated. Valentine had sensed Vera''s gazes, she obviously had a deep crush on him. But Fayette''s presence kept her at bay like a ghost in the night. Totally frightening. The two had deep thoughts even as Vera fought for her life. This time they decided to not help her, she has managed to deeply injure the wolves before, but never killed them¡­ This time, her task is to kill it. The wolf tried to chase Vera around the tree, but she always made sure the tree was always between them, she would make a fake, strike and retreat¡­ It wasn''t as optimal as she''d like, but it worked. Eventually the wolf was so injured that it thought about retreating, but there was no way the outraged Russian would allow it! *SLASH!* *WUUUU!!!* She disregarded all cowardice and threw herself above the wolf, plunging her knife on the wolf''s back! She kept her ground even as the wolf struggled to be released, but she dragged the bloodied knife all along with a vengeance until the wolf fell on the ground helplessly with a deep wound that went deep to the marrow! *THUD!* "I DID IT!" Vera Sidorov would look so cute were it not for the blood all over her body. The two applauded briefly, something that made her sulk¡­ Truly, for her this was an achievement, but for them¡­ "There is no need to sulk~ Come, it''s time for your reward." Fayette wrapped her arms around the girl''s neck, with the latter pouting at the lack of praises and the walked up to a small pool of water. "You can clean your face and hair after drinking water, but that''s about it¡­ We just drank, afterwards we will clean ourselves¡­ You can go first, you won it~" Vera''s eyes shone, it had been weeks ever since she washed her face! She stared at Valentine for confirmation and he only nodded in acknowledgement with his arm crossed. "YAY!" The woman jumped and got naked straight away! "Hey what are you doing!?" She''s supposed to clean just her face! Vera however didn''t care, she took whatever small scoop of water she could to clean her face, her nethers, her butt and some more! It was nowhere near enough to complete clean herself, but at least she felt as fresh as a monkey drinking a tablespoon of water in the desert! By the time she finished, she fell on her knees and apologised! "I''m sorry, but I couldn''t help it!" "Is that so? Then you''re sleeping with the wolves!" Now how could they clean themselves in that water!? "Forget it¡­ Let''s go." Valentine said casually and turned around, but Fayette sensed the briefest glimpse he gave to Vera''s body¡­ And it made her grit her teeth! ''Control¡­ Control¡­'' she repeated her mantra, the mantra that never worked. ''Vera, next time you''re fighting two wolves!'' *** Several more months took place, it''s been more than a year ever since Valentine and Fayette arrived in this forest. And finally¡­ They caught something. After eating their batch of animal''s stones to sate their hunger, they walked, once again following the flame. Until something happened. In front of them in a narrow path full of trees¡­ The forest suddenly¡­ Stopped. ¡­ "V-Valentine do you think¡­" Vera''s lips quivered! "We did it¡­ It has to be!" Fayette continued! But Valentine restrained his joy, there is no forest, but¡­ There is nothing! A dense fog covered the plan land in front of them¡­ Behind them lay that accursed forest where they had lived for what they believed was more than a year. The three of them gulped heavily before staring at one another. Now what? "This is the time of the truth, we finally reached the end¡­" Valentine began, and taking a deep breath, walked forward! The two women gulped heavily, their gazes fixed in the fog! And so, they walked. For the first couple of minutes, there was nothing except fog. They looked back and still a very vague silhouette of forest tree could be seen. Fayette and Valentine shook their heads and kept walking but Vera¡­ "What if it''s worse?" She couldn''t help but stop and ask! "¡­" The couple stared at one another and sighed. "If it''s worse¡­ We will cope." Valentine answered confidently, he didn''t know if it would be worse or not, but one thing he knew for sure. This had been a riddle, and the riddle had been solved¡­ It''s time for the next stage. Vera gazed at their departing gazes, with a bag of fur on her back, full of crystals, stones and knives¡­ The three of them had one each, it''s their survival equipment. After thinking deeply she slapped her face with both of her hands softly. ''With them¡­ Wherever!'' She followed behind and caught up shortly after. ¡­ For hours, they walked¡­ Aimlessly, there were no changes, no change of land, on the fog¡­ Of nothing. Hours passed and passed, and it was always the same. When they were about to lose hope, something showed up that managed to make them totally awestruck. In front of them, two massive boulders with a message engraved in stone awaited them. Each saw it in their respective languages and they didn''t know what to think. ''Welcome to Hell'' ¡­ "W-What does this mean¡­?" Vera stuttered once again, her gaze fixed at the signal. If before they were theorising, now, there is no denying it, however¡­ "Are you telling me until now¡­ We weren''t even in hell?" Fayette mumbled in total bewilderment. If someone told her that what they lived for a year, wasn''t even hell to begin with, she would probably slap that person and cry¡­ As a matter of fact, she felt like crying! "Let''s¡­ Continue¡­" "Do you want to continue?!" Vera yelled, maybe, there is still a way back!? "We have reached this stage already¡­ Let''s go." Valentine''s voice left no root to denial. The three walked inside for several minutes until they saw a silhouette? Quickly they guarded, taking their knives! The silhouette of this person was on his back within this fog. As they approached cautiously, they noticed¡­ There was another person in front of that person!? "What the frick is going on?" Vera held her knives in bewilderment as they approached, so far they had seen ten people, all of them wearing rags and with knives in their arms. "Who are you!?" Suddenly a voice came behind them and they turned around as fast as lightning! Two men wearing fur with lances pointed their spears at them! "Who are you, where are we!?" He was a blonde man, with a frantic expression and a dirty appearance! The other was also a blonde man, but he appeared to be much older! ''W-What?! When did they get behind us!?'' "Back off! We don''t know what''s happening! Just keep your distance and-!" Valentine yelled, pointing his knife at the man, but then his eyes opened like saucers when without any apparent explanation, his body moved on its own! ''W-What!?'' He wanted to speak, to call for Fayette and Vera, but couldn''t! The two girls were exactly in the same predicament. The two men also walked towards the queue like somnambulists! Eventually they got neatly in a queue. ''I don''t like troublemakers~'' A chilly voice devoid of life, terrifying enough to frighten heroes, resonated in his mind! His complexion paled, never having heard something so horrible. ''I-Is this some kind of queue?'' He managed to stutter in his mind, not really knowing if hoping for an answer. But the answer never came. Fayette''s expression screamed ''Outrage!'' They''re making a queue to enter the worst place in existence!? She wouldn''t want to enter there even if paid! It took several hours, the queue moved and moved until a voice was heard, the same terrifying voice from before! "Andrew Mayers, Carbon, Greed, 151 years¡­ A good one." "Sarah Patterson, Carbon, Greed, 284 years." "Shuang Mei, Carbon, Treachery, 121 years. Interesting." ¡­ "Samala Laminko, Carbon, Gluttony, 332 years." "Marshall Spencer, Onyx, Heresy, 110 years." "Harrison Delaware, Bronze, Lust, 90 years." ¡­ When it finally came his turn, Valentine''s whole visage paled¡­ In front of him, stood a figure. At least two metres tall, with blue flames brimming all over him. He had what looked like a heavy armour and a book in his hand, the book''s letter shone onto the¡­ Thing''s face. His gaze got immediately attracted to the thing''s head. There, two hours blazed with blue flames! The things skin was crimson red and he couldn''t see its legs as they were covered in a silver and black robe. ''D-Demon¡­'' He couldn''t believe it, it has to be a demon! ¡­ "Valentine Wagner-!" The ''demon''s eyes widened like saucers, they were slitted, purple and shiny! He gave Valentine the deepest glare, and his lips curled into a malicious grim, his sharp yellow teeth clanked in a brief laughter. "Haha¡­ It''s been so long since I saw someone like this¡­ Poor fool, your life won''t be easy. But, hahaha! We''re in Hell, aren''t we?" His deep voice spoke as slowly as a turtle, as deep as the abyss! "Valentine Wagner, Gold, Anger¡­ 1 year." Upon finishing his words, something mysterious shone and imprinted itself on his palm! His body moved by itself and a red shining circle appeared in front of him! "I wonder what kind of surprises will you bring me, Valentine Wagner, HAHAHAHAHA!!~" !!! The next second, Fayette saw her lover''s body disappeared inside of a gate! ''Valentine!'' She wanted to yell but couldn''t¡­ Her eyes were fixed on that thing! Her reaction was no less than Valentine''s! "This is really a golden batch, huh? What a pity¡­ You could have been perfect without ''that'' inside of you." The ''demon'' sighed upon reading his book. "Fayette Blanchet, Silver, Anger, 1 year¡­" Her body moved towards her unknown destiny in that red circle and she disappeared. The cicle repeated with Vera who also couldn''t believe her eyes when she saw what stood in front, there is no doubt now, this is hell. "Vera Sidorov, Bronze, Anger, 2 years¡­" *** Just like that, the trio finished their long journey through the cursed forest, and began the true journey, into Hell. "Let''s see how long will you last, Valentine Wagner~" The ''Demon'' smirked and kept doing his job, if one looked behind him, his abyssal shadow extended to the infinite¡­ and within the shadow an object shone with maliciousness, covered in a dark hue. A Scythe. Chapter 18 - The Netherworld Valentine''s body walked through a red bright gate, his consciousness totally aware of everything, but unaware of controlling his own body. It ended soon though. The moment the gate closed, he regained control of his body. "..." His first thought wasn''t to inspect the clearly gigantic gate that showed itself in front of him, like the entrance to a kingdom? The weather was as hot, no... hotter than that forest they had been at. The red sky covered everything on its might, and the black clouds permeated all over, but there was no rain. Two yellow moons could be seen hanging up dimly giving the place a very eerie feeling. Words spoke all around him, words that he could understand and also... Some he couldn''t. He looked to the side, and there were... People? No... Not just people. Demons... The horns on their heads, their colourful skin, some had wings. ''This is ridiculous'' He couldn''t help but think inwardly, this is like being in a fantasy book. The creatures that humanity so adamantly denied, were right in front of him, confirming what was henceforth undeniable. Demons exist, hell exist... And that means... God exists, Heaven exists... And, the Devil... "Valentine!" His thoughts were interrupted by a voice that resounded behind him, the voice he had been expecting to hear, thankfully they weren''t separated. "Faye!" Turning around he got nearly tackled down by his lover. "I thought we would be separated!" She yelled, clearly she had been scared through the whole ordeal. "Yes, I did too for a while, we need to recompose, look..." ... "Oh? How cute~ A couple from the trail ground... I wonder how long they will remain together~" The two were momentarily stumbled by a voice, not even noticing when Vera came out of her own portal and yelled their names. "Valentine! Fayette!" The girl hugged the two of them in exasperation and they answered her feelings, truly content that they managed to end together, but the duo still held their gaze onto that devilish and alluring voice from before. A tall figure, taller than even Valentine with a pair of spread wings and a battle attire, walked through this tiled passage, she ignored them after finishing her words and kept walking with three demons behind her, their gazes staring at them in apparent disgust. ''Demoness...'' Fayette gulped heavily, that woman... She''s hot as fuck! ''Is that what they call a succubus?'' Vera''s widened eyes stared at the demoness that walked far away. There were many other demons and even humans in here, all of them walking out or from the passage. But none looked as domineering as that demoness that just passed! ''She must be quite strong'' Those were Valentine''s thoughts when he regarded that demoness. A proper evaluation of this place is needed, but so far, it only looks like a city. They gave the trio either a disgusted or condescending gaze, totally aware of their circumstances. "Hey... You just arrived, do you need help?" !!! The trio turned around with the knives in their hands and suddenly the world seemed to stop! Gazes from all over the place focused on them! !!! "Who are you!? What do you want!?" Fayette pointed her knife at the human that just talked to them, he looked like some kind of vagrant! "Stop! Point down your weapons, you can''t use violence in here!" The vagrant said but they were relentless. "You see how they''re looking at you!? If you use violence, you will give them the right to use violence against you! Stop!" Valentine grit his teeth, truly concerned about how all the gazes stared at them, even that demoness from before had turned around and regarded them with a sharp glare! "Lower your weapons." He ordered and the two women heed. The moment he lowered his weapons, the world seemed to have turned back to normal as everyone kept going their own way. The vagrant sighed in relief, releasing a breath he didn''t know he was holding! "Listen, no matter what, unless you''re a kilometre away from this city, you''re not allowed to use violence, do you get it!?" "..." The trio nodded and it was then that the vagrant presented his arm. "...?" They stared at one another, not understanding. "My payment... I just gave you a piece of very valuable information, they could have killed you if you kept on, so, where is my payment?!" The vagrant yelled as if offended that he hadn''t been paid yet! "We don''t even know what you will accept as payment." Valentine frowned at this man attitude and stood between the women and him with clear hostility. "What do you have? I will see from there~" The vagrant''s gaze became devious as he stared at the fur bags they were holding, in one, he saw how a sharp claw protruded from the bag and his eyes shone briefly, but he didn''t show it for long... The women didn''t notice that, but Valentine did. "I only have a single black stone... Nothing more." That was his answer that he proudly gave with a kind ''smile'' and he immediately received a glare from the vagrant. ''That''s all I ''have'' take it or leave it. You can also choose to fight for it.'' Valentine''s wicked smile was more than obvious. He didn''t know if this vagrant had company... If he dared to leave and fight them despite the numeric advantage, he knew this is not a brawl to meet. ''He''s a clever bastard.'' The vagrant thought inwardly and smiled. "Then I will take that ''black stone'' as a payment for this information... And I can teach you a lot more for... A better reward." He ''seduced''. Valentine took out one of the black stones, but his hand stopped before he released it on the vagrant''s hand, the man''s visage changed instantly, don''t mess with a man''s pocket. "How about you tell me what this, ''Black Stone'' is as well as their usages?" Valentine took advantage. "That will cost you another stone my friend, but... I''m afraid you might not have anymore~" "Oh? look at this~ It seems I have another... I''ll give you the two of them if you explain their usage." Valentine joked and took two more stones out of the bloody pouch. "... Very well, follow me, it''s better to change locations." The vagrant who resembled the hunchback of Notre Dame, walked away from them as they followed. "This is a very hostile environment despite the looks", Fayette commented, not having left the man''s body out of her gaze for even a minute, if he dared attack, she''d behead him that very instant. "It''s as if everyone''s on edge", Vera added, gazing around as they followed the vagrant. As they kept walking in silence, suddenly they saw something that unnerved them! !!! "W-Why!?" Fayette yelled, she wanted to draw her knife at that moment, but Valentine stopped her. In front of them, a demon had a few strings tied to his hand, and these strings were used to restrain his ''pets''. But the pets... are humans. What''s most impressive is that there were several other humans walking normally around them, wearing different attires, some of them looked tired, some healthy. But none of them even glanced at this as if it was unnatural, not even the vagrant! The demon felt their gazes and huffed out some smoke! "Got a problem!?" The trio grit their teeth, only showing the two women that acted as pets, a pitiful glance, they were mashed all over, clearly hurt... Naked. Their lifeless eyes stared at nothing. "No... there is no problem." Valentine said nonchalantly and continued, forcefully pulling Fayette and Vera''s arms. "You''ve got a nice pair there... unworthy one... How about you sell them to me?~" The demons'' voice devoided of feelings spoke with myriad wickedness and depravity, as if he was already envisioning the things he would do to Vera and Fayette! "Fuck... Off..." Those were Valentine''s sharp words that left no room for negotiation. Fayette and Vera were about to argue as well when suddenly the two humans crawled and started licking the man''s foot! "Master, don''t leave us, please!" "W-We will perform better tonight, please, don''t abandon us!" The trio was left speechless and rather followed the vagrant with faces full of disgust. ''So this is the value of humans in here¡­?'' He could more or less imagine how they got themselves in that situation¡­ if you don''t have the means to survive, what else can you do? Chapter 19 - The First Encounter Vera in particular seemed quite shaken at what they witnessed, ''Is this what the weak is subjected to...? I-If I don''t become strong enough, am I going to become some disgusting demon''s pet?'' the thought frightened her to no end and suddenly the two people that instructed her for a whole year seemed like her saviours. *** "The black stones are human souls, the soul of a person is stored in that stone... You should know a few of its characteristics or you wouldn''t be here... All I will tell you for the pennies that you''re paying me is that you can exchange those souls for the local currency of the place where you are. Different cities have different currencies and different exchange rates... It all depends on their diplomatic status and your status~" The vagrant spoke, the three of them sitting in what looked like a ''Cafe''. The bastard took them here to pay for his meal! He sipped from his hot drink, ''Ashwood Tea'', that they didn''t even know what the heck it was. "How much is the exchange rate for this place''s local currency? And what is the level of acquisition one has with this currency?" Right now Valentine wanted to understand their current circumstances more than anything, understand this world''s mechanics¡­ at the very least this hell seemed like a place you could roam as long as you''re strong enough. "Now now, one question at a time... The exchange rate... It''s volatile, you won''t ever find two people that give you the same exchange rate, as for the level of acquisition of a currency within the city, that''s standard... For example, this ''Ashwood Tea'' will cost the same regardless of where you get it in this city... This city''s name is Mahogany Devilish Central by the way, it''s one of the strongest cities within the circle." The vagrant sipped his tea and smiled with his disgusting black teeth. He stopped speaking when a pretty demoness came with a smile, dressing in a very tight dress that showed more than a little of her butt! Fayette grit her teeth at this demoness'' shamelessness! ''She might as well be naked and it would be less arousing!'' *PA!* The vagrant surprisingly slapped the demoness'' butt that wiggled as she moaned. "Get me a nether wolf pastry, please~" The vagrant spoke with lewd intent, and the demoness didn''t go straight away, instead she flashed Valentine a smile and placed a piece of paper on the vagrant''s hand, she gave Valentine a last wink and turned heels! ¡­ "What the hell just happened?" Vera''s flying saucers for eyes stared at the demoness that walked away wiggling her big purple butt, if one looked closely, she''s not wearing panties or anything! "I hope this nether wolf whatever is not going to be too expensive, bastard¡­ I''ll leave you here with that-!" Valentine began, but he didn''t finish. "Don''t look!" Fayette placed her hands-on Valentine''s eyes as the latter nonchalantly kept staring at it. "My friend, as a fellow man I will give you and advice as someone who has been here for two million years..." "W-What did you say!? Two million years!?" Fayette yelled so loud many of the other customers stared at her with clear annoyance! ''How can a simple vagrant have lived here for two million years!? There weren''t even humans at that stage!'' Valentine thought inwardly, confused but also excited about this world. "Indeed, and I can be considered young... You see in this place, it is very hard to die~" "Ah?!" "What do you expect, this is Hell! You''re not supposed to die, you''re supposed to live endless suffering. If you wanted to die, you should have died in that forest, that was your only chance... To die here is very difficult, do you think those two women from before wouldn''t rather die than be some demon''s torture pet?" "..." Indeed. "I can give you a very valuable piece of advice for a single soul~" he extended his gruesome hand, expecting to get a stone. The trio rolled their eyes and Valentine placed a stone in the man''s hand, totally certain that he was being scammed but they needed the information anyway, this is the last stone he''s spending here. The man took the stone with a smile that turned deranged the next second, "Stop thinking like you''re on Earth~" "..." "This place is nothing like earth, the rules... everything, the logic isn''t like anything you have ever experienced, here people don''t move by money... they don''t move by survival." "... then what do people seek here?" Vera asked this time. "That''s something you''re going to realise the more you live in here¡­" "I will ask you a question logical question so that you can figure yourself. This place is crowded with humans and demons, very smart, shrewd and clever ones. I have been here for millions of years, suffering all kinds of atrocities... Yet in this world, the scientific revolution doesn''t exist at all." !!! Logically, humans would have already tried to fend off against demons in some way. "D-Do you mean?" The trio didn''t understand where he''s coming from. "What I mean is, that this world works nothing like the Earth, so if you keep thinking as if you''re on Earth... You will suffer, a lot." "..." "Now, my friend following on my previous advice, if I was you, I''d never fuck a demoness in here... Trust me, you will be in for a life of damnation if you do~" He showed Valentine the piece of paper. ''Come to the back and have some fun with me in an hour, bring your friend over. <3'' That''s what is written in there. "What a slut..." Fayette huffed in disdain. "Hahaha! Well, she is, and proudly so¡­ she has her reasons to show a piece of paper like this, to every possible human customer that she meets. Now, if you excuse me, I''ll exchange these stones for some good currency~" Valentine furrowed his brows, truly a clever cunt... He had been planning to stand from this table and leave the Vagrant to pay the bill, but he acted faster. ... "What do we do now, should we exchange everything we have for coins?" Vera looked at the menu, since they were shamelessly left to pay, they might as well have a good meal here. The problem is, they don''t have the local currency and also... She doesn''t know a single thing from this menu! The Demoness came back with the beef pastry and gazed at the empty spot in bewilderment and dejection. "He left, aishh... do you want to take his place, hunk?~" The Demoness placed the pastry on the table and smiled at them before shamelessly sitting on the vagrant''s previous spot. Her purple skin glistened with the cafe''s light, her two curled horns seemed tantalizing and her cleavage was so big, a little more and she would be in Fayette''s level. Valentine stared at her, trying to avoid the cleavage lest the two sharp pairs of eyes beside him decided to start a killing spree. Still, it said a lot about Fayette if her luscious breasts were even bigger than a demoness specialized in seduction... "He won''t... are you interested in answering some questions, Mrs Demoness?" Fayette took on the conversation without permission and split the pastry in three, giving Vera and Valentine a piece... This would be their first proper meal after a whole year... "UHM~ So Good!" Vera ate her piece happily, they had tasted so much ''shit'' during the whole year, that this pastry tasted like the ambrosia of the gods! It made her want to eat, and eat and eat! and never stop! Valentine was very much the same, but he noticed... That the desire to eat more of this was getting awfully big! "Answer questions? I will answer all the questions you want~ I can see that you three are newcomers in this place... However, there will be a cost~" "What''s the cost?" Fayette also refrained from eating the whole thing in one go. "The cost is that you let me fuck this hunk after I finish my break, do that and I will answer everything you want, I can give you some service as well dear~" The Demoness sent Valentine a wink and even moved her dress aside a little, flashing her nipple! "Fuck¡­you¡­" Fayette exploded almost instantly and grasped her knife, only to be stopped by Valentine! "Calm down... surely there is a better price to pay?" He restrained his enraged girlfriend as the demoness seemed to ignore him and instead spoke to Fayette! "There is no need to get upset Mrs Girlfriend-number-one... tou, the hunk, girlfriend-number-two and me~ can have a lot of fun together, don''t worry... I''ll make sure to give the three of you pleasure beyond imaginable, I can even call a few of my demoness friends if you want bigger numbers~" The demoness played with her own nipple, even bringing it to her mouth and sucking it, totally convinced she got these three! ''Shit...'' Valentine gulped and stood up, barely restraining Fayette together with Vera who seemed to have gone berserk. He is a man, and this is a type of temptation that even someone as cold and tempered as him, had a hard time rejecting... This is truly hell where demons run amock in every corner. ''Girlfriend-number-two...'' Vera blushed, not really against it. "We will pay the bill and leave..." He stated after hugging Fayette against his chest. "Is that so? Sad... It will be five hundred coins for the pastry and the tea." The demoness stared at Valentine with a sad look, to the point he almost felt bad for rejecting her! ''Dammit, they''re crafty! Moreover, five hundred!? What''s the inflation rate of this coin?!'' Once more he felt he was getting scammed badly, but with little to no information of this city, what else could he do except willingly allow others to stick it up his ass!? "I''m sorry but we don''t have coins, we can pay with souls." !!! His words were heard not only by the demoness but also, the other customers whether they be humans or demons or the other demoness waitresses. "Oh... I''m sorry but, I''m not allowed to accept payment in souls, I can only accept the local amethyst coin. But..." The demoness placed her finger on her lip and smiled lightly. A smile that served as a bad omen for the trio who right at this moment, were cursing at that damned vagrant with all their hearts. Several of the customers, particularly the demons that outnumbered the humans, laughed heartily while the humans just gave them a grim expression and remained silent. ... "But?" Valentine gulped in, truly one hell of a situation he couldn''t get out of with his knives! "But I can allow you to stay here with me while your two girls go to the exchange shop and get the coins, But there is one condition..." "What is it, just say it!?" Fayette yelled with her eyes starting to turn red, she already knew what this demoness wanted! "Hehe... I want...." Chapter 20 - The Second Encounter "What I want is you... In the back of the shop, with me~" She naturally pointed in Valentine''s direction. Vera and Fayette furrowed their brows while Valentine simply kept staring at the demoness... ''What''s the catch?'' Could it be that all the demonesses are sluts? He doesn''t believe it. "Sandora, get back to work!" A cold voice resounded from inside the shop and the demoness made a dejected expression. "Think about it~ But if you leave this shop without paying, I will have to call the authorities." She turned around and walked off, not before wiggling her but at his direction once, as if trying to hasten his decision! "There is no way you''re doing that! Let''s just run!" Fayette stood up and grasped his arm. What is she going to do? fuck her man in the back of this shop?! FUCK HER! She knew her Valentine was a piece of treasure but for it to be this bad... Even when covered in dirt and mud there is still a hot demoness that''s shamelessly trying to get in his pants! "Calm down, Faye... If we get in trouble here, who knows what those ''authorities'' will do, that damned vagrant bastard, if I see him..." He growled in anger but his rant didn''t calm Fayette in the slightest! "Are you saying that you''re willing to do it!?" "Maybe if the two of us stay here, you can get to the exchange place?" Vera suggested, the idea of Valentine going to the back with that slutty demoness, not to her liking in the slightest, but she didn''t dare show her discomfort in front of Fayette. "She said the three of us have to stay but only if we go through with her demands will she let one of us go? That means this is not internal politics of the shop, instead, it''s her own unreasonable demand..." That''s what he guessed. His guess is that she''s lying, maybe there is indeed a way to pay with souls when he was about to go to the counter to ask, he was about to go and ask the demon from just now that yelled at her another thing occurred when suddenly silence permeated through the whole place. The humans shut their mouths straight away and lowered their heads and the demons started to gossip! Fayette turned around towards the source of the commotion and there she was. That big demoness from before!? *THUD!* The Demoness walked with a grin on her face, her skin was tanned and dark... Her muscles slightly toned and she even had six-packs in her abdomen, enough to show that she''s ripped but not enough to take away her femininity, her clothes had changed, she no longer wore that heavy armour from before, instead she seemed to have some casual clothes that Fayette resembled were from the two thousand''s. She''s a bombshell of a demoness. Blue Jean Shorts that barely hide her big butt, some kind of black bikini bra that kept her big breasts in place and a white jacket. She had silver and short hair and several red lines like tattoos spread across her body. Fayette stared at the approaching demoness and stared at her dirty self... ''I need a shower, now...'' Vera''s mind was a carbon copy of hers. Valentine was too worried about this demoness'' overbearing presence to even pay attention to her ravishing self. Two times they had seen each other, coincidence? Or was this city simply that small? There''s also the chance this cafe is famous. Those thoughts disappeared when the silver-haired demoness that was now by herself, sat on the chair where the demon waitress and the vagrant had been before. Crossed her arms underneath her proud chest unashamedly and then crossed her long legs, smiling at them! "..." (Valentine) "..." (Fayette) "..." (Vera) ''Why are you sitting with us!?'' The same thought ran through their minds! "The three of you really look like shit~" "...!!" Fayette bit her lips but didn''t say anything, ''I don''t need you to remind me!'' "Can we help you with anything?" Valentine spoke politely, they''re in hell, he doesn''t know why this place has a rule of no violence, that''s ridiculous considering this place is hell, but there must be a reason, be it as it may he was thankful, who knows how anyone would react by just being addressed by a human. "... You got the attention of some troublesome individual, Valentine Wagner, let''s say that your effort has gained you an advantage over everyone that steps out of that forest." The woman smirked and waved her hand, calling the waitress from earlier who upon seeing her, paled. "What do you want madam...?" The demoness stuttered not even bothering to give them a glance this time, instead, she looked frightened! They didn''t blame her, but vindication was visible in Fayette''s gaze! "I''m going to pay for their bill, how much is it?~" "... It''s ten amethyst coins, madame." The demoness said! !!! "BITCH!" that insult came from Vera''s deepest corner of her heart! ''Fucking hell, she planned to scam us 490 coins!?'' Valentine was about to spit blood, had this demoness not come, they would have been cleaned here! Even he couldn''t have expected it to be this bad! The silver-haired demoness nodded, "Bring me three cans of water, here you go..." She gave the demoness three amethyst coins... The demoness stared at it with gritted teeth and left. !!! ''What kind of anarchy is this!?'' Fayette''s eyes opened like saucers, is there any righteousness in this world!? "Why are you helping us?" Valentine restrained his surprise and dread... If the world they now live in is going to be like this? Who do you trust!? "As I said, you gained some individual''s attention, that blue flaming fellow from before..." The demoness spoke nonchalantly, her eyes fixed on Valentine. They knew she''s talking about that demon who ''sorted'' them out before. "What is his name?" He inquired, wanting to know the name of the ''demon'' he owed. "You''re not qualified to know~ As a matter of fact, you might never regard him again, so you don''t need to worry about such trivial matters." "What about your name?" Fayette asked next, unashamedly glancing at the demoness'' big boobs, and making sure Valentine wasn''t. "You can call me Lucretia... Lucretia Descartes¡­ see, I don''t have much time so, here is how it goes... You will ask me four questions, and I will answer you honestly, if it''s something I can''t answer, I just won''t answer instead of lying... The other thing is... I''ll exchange you four of those cores you have in there for a fair price. That''s as much as I will help you, the rest of your eternity in here, depends on you~" Lucretia answered and hunched back on her seat, taking the bottles of water from the aggrieved demon waitress who just departed after that, never to come back again to their table. The trio stared at one another, this is something very important... They decided to leave the surprise as to how she knows what they have in their bags for now. "What should we ask? it''s just four chances?" Vera started so far any questions they asked to bystanders might as well be straight lies or made-up stuff... "Transportation? Lodging?" Fayette followed. "No, those are things we can sort out as we explore this place... What we need to know, is the circumstances of this city and this world..." "I don''t have all day... There are some humans I have to torture." The demoness irritated voice resounded as she moved her leg bag and forth. *GULP!* They gulped harshly, just like all the other humans who heard her. "Can you tell me the rules of this world''s cities?" He asked, totally aware of the long answer. "Oh? You''re a clever one, but this one will count for two answers, you okay with that?" She smirked and he nodded in affirmation. "Okay... First of all, Every city has different rules... They''re decided by the Demon Count/Countess or Demon Marquess/Marquise that rules that city... Not all of them are antiviolence like this one, in fact there aren''t more than three such cities in this circle, that has hundreds of cities and what city you are deployed to is determined according to your original ''score'' and managed by ''him'' the blue flames fellow~" "Score?" He asked with lifted eyebrows and she approached his face with a seductive gaze. "Taking one year to complete it brought you here, only those that complete it in less than ten years, from the circle of wrath with the sin of anger, manage to come to these cities at first, do you know what that means?~" She whispered in his ears lewdly, as if her lewd innuendo came totally unwarranted. Fayette wanted to get upset, but she couldn''t the moment she heard the demoness'' words. ''Does that mean that everyone in this city knows our score!?'' Her gaze moved to the side. Humans didn''t pay attention to them, but demons... Now she understood why that demoness was so adamant about getting Valentine! "As for this city. Name''s Mahogany Devilish Central... Rules... As you know, no violence in a perimeter of a kilometre around the city, or at least, that''s what they say~ amethyst coin is the local asset and the exchange rate is fifty-per-soul average... the Demon Marquess in charge is Warcroft Galtrose... this city has ill relations with Black Celery City and Curse Mermaid Coast and another dozens of pro-violence cities, a neutral relationship with all the others and... are you listening?" The demoness'' voice sounded pissed at the end! "Y-Yes we are, continue!" Fayette who was slightly dizzy at all the new terms she didn''t know, encouraged the demoness to continue! "Anyway, that''s about it, I don''t think you need to know any more about this city... You have two questions left, it should be one since I answered you about the score, but I will be lenient with you lot for now~" "...." Chapter 21 - The Second Encounter II "This is supposed to be hell, why are there humans acting so casually then?" Vera asked inadvertently, that''s a question all of them had in their minds, but it wasn''t worth it to waste it here! "Hmn? I can answer this one for free as you''re about to see by yourselves... everything in this world as you have noticed... costs and a lot, and it costs souls~" The Demoness played with her hair as she uttered her answer. "..." They shivered when noticing where she was coming from. "So, there is one rule that I didn''t say, it is shared through all of Hell... humans aren''t allowed to be employed or in charge of anything, everything in this world is managed by demons, this isn''t even a rule haha... would you humans have allowed a headless chicken to run a business in your earth?~" *GULP!* She said those words so casually... chicken, headless chicken as if it is the most normal thing in the world... and it is. "You''re all just our currency, food and entertainment, once you leave this city, you will truly be surprised~" !!! ''Shit...'' The reality of the situation dawned on him like a fully loaded truck going brakeless through a downhill tangent. ''Everything costs souls, and humans can''t be employed... that means... that humans always have to go out of the city to get more coins, out there where violence is allowed and they''re just hunted... sometimes for mere fun'' Valentine thought deeply and his mind mirrored Fayette and Vera''s. ''But some are not willing to take that risk.'' "You can always become someone''s dog. you will be tortured and raped multiple times every day but at least you might get food once a week, a good deal in exchange for not becoming a subject of worse tortures out there, you see, some of us demons can be really... deranged." Lucretia shrugged and gave Vera a wicked glance. It was more than clear to her, that the auburn-haired ''beauty'' is the trio''s weakest link. As for how she''s aware of that, only she knows. "I have another question, how strong are demons?" Valentine asked another question, only one left... "Demons... all of them that you see around, they''re twice as strong as the average human, for your standards... they''re simply ''demons''... they usually never fight or thrive for survival as there are plenty of weak humans that surrender themselves to them... they get souls some other ways, with contracts and ''services'' just like that slutty demoness from just now." She pointed at the demoness that attended some other customers. "..." "Then there are those like me, the ''demon soldiers'', we''re five times stronger than the strongest humans, and yes, it''s not just a bureaucratic rank, WE are stronger." !!! Valentine''s gaze suddenly became sharp, five times... she''d surely be the strongest opponent he had faced, even more than those beasts, let alone his strength is not what you would consider ''strongest'', he''s just extremely proficient and a terrific strategist, still, in front of formidable strength, strategies might be meaningless. "We''re usually the guards and the ''authority'' in towns and cities. Then there are Demon Magistrates, their strength is twice or thrice of ours. They''re in charge of several key spots in a city, attractions for demons, councils, the transport department for demons and so on... You will never need to interact with one as they''re members of the demon society, humans don''t touch this layer of bureaucracy most of the time, but there are exceptions..." She kept on explaining hell''s bureaucracy. ''...'' Someone as ''strong'' as that... he couldn''t even imagine, can they dent iron with a fist or something? what about their speed, how fast are they? are they smarter? "Then there are Demon Counts and Countesses, they''re the first step of royal demons, their strength is unfathomable and they''re usually in charge of regions of the cities or towns, working under the Demon Marquise of said city or metropolis." Now she''s going a bit too fast, but they didn''t dare tell her to repeat herself. "The Demon Marquise and Marquissess, they''re in charge of cities through the circles, organisations, guilds, armies... I can''t really tell you much about them and believe me, you don''t need to know... through millions of years, humans never touch this layer." "The last is the Demon Earl or Duchess, they''re renowned existences whose names you should now, most humans know them even before they come here... Like Lord Beelzebub for example~" At this point Valentine didn''t know what to think, there is such a high bureaucracy in hell unexpectedly... this place is no different than the Earth, just that it''s a place for demons... and it has its own ''laws''. Fayette''s thoughts were even more troubled, as a Catholic back in life, she knows who those Demon Earls are... Or at least can think of some names. As for Vera, this was simply too much for her mind to bear, one day she lived ''peacefully'' back on the Earth, now she''s suddenly hearing an unknown hierarchy in hell. "As for the Demon King, I''m sure you''re totally aware who this is" Lucretia spoke matter of factly, playing with her silver hair as her light chocolate legs crossed alluringly as she finished her explanation. ''...'' They know. "Last Question..." Lucretia uttered afterwards and looked at her clearly polished nails with boredom, she felt like leaving already, but the souls in front of her interested her, it''s not everything such souls arrive in hell after all. "How do demons increase in rank?" Valentine asked his last question and silence permeated the whole place... "... I can''t answer you that question, ask something else~" Lucretia crossed her legs the other way. *SNORT!* Fayette''s rolled her eyes. "Can I ask you this question somewhere else?" Valentine said with a troubled gaze that surprised both Vera and Fayette. "... Sure." Lucretia smiled and stood up, a little certain of what his question is, she''s lived here too long to know. Vera took the precious bottles of water with her and followed. The trio tailed Lucretia until they reached a quiet corner with no one present. ... "Is here okay for you?" The demoness lay against the wall of a hallway. "Yes... I want to ask, what does having a ''gold'', means?" He recalled from the assessment that demon said before. ''Valentine Wagner, Gold, Anger, 1 year...'' He assumed the Gold was the classification due to the amount of time it took him, but in that case, shouldn''t Fayette have been gold too instead of silver? Also, Vera is bronze despite having been just one year later. As for ''Anger'' that''s clearly his sin, he doesn''t need anyone to tell him that, the three of them should coincide on this even without telling each other. Could it be the number of beasts they killed? No doubt he killed more than the two of them, but Fayette''s number wasn''t too far away from his, she should have been a ''gold'' too. Lucretia heard his words and laughed lightly, "As expected... You''re quite perspective. Now, should I answer you that or not? You won''t like the answer~" "..." They only remained silent, obviously they wanted to know, this seems to be something extremely important. The demoness took almost a whole minute to think before flashing a smile with her shining red eyes. "You know what? I like you... I''m sure you will give me a surprise in a few millenniums, no... centuries, Valentine Wagner... I will answer you this question that even humans that have lived here for millenniums don''t know yet~" Her lips curled up alluringly and her slitted eyes shone in the darkness as if trying to measure their reactions. "You see, knowledge is power, so it is always better to keep human''s ignorant in order to better control them, don''t you think?~" She hunched against a wall in the alleyway. !!! The trio could only growl in silence, indeed who in their respective ages hadn''t thought of this and applied it? "This question is tied with the last one you asked... To summarize, those ''souls'', you noticed they''re black?" "..." "Those are carbon souls, they''re the most common type of souls here in the netherworld... of a trillion souls, 95% of them are carbon, they''re basically pieces of trash that never achieved anything in their entire life, in terms of their soul that is, if I recall correctly, one of the richest persons in the earth was a carbon too, he was such a piece of trash~" The cute way she said that diminished the ill intent of the phrase greatly as she recalled that person. Of a trillion souls? How many inhabitants exactly does the Netherworld have? He tried to do the math but the number is inconclusive if he doesn''t know how long the netherworld has existed and the number of arrivals each day. The time laws in this world are impossible to predict if someone like him can meet Fayette and Vera here, one is from the past, another from the future... they all arrived the same day. A simple beggar has lived here two million years, or could he have been lying? That''s a high possibility... ... "One soul is equivalent to 50 amethyst coins in this city as I said before... These are used by both demons and humans... But they have another use, in particular for demons... those souls are the way not only we maintain our immortality but also... It''s what makes us stronger, it''s what increases our rank." !!! ''So that''s how it is...'' Humans are indeed, just currency... demons have no need for money, they just desire to become stronger, is that it? "Now, as I said carbon is the lowest stage... But there are more." "Onyx is above Carbon, and an Onyx Soul is worth a hundred thousand Carbons." She said so as her gaze moved to regard Vera. "A Bronze stage soul is worth a million Onyx." !!!! ''So much!?'' Vera gaped, is her soul worth that much?! It can''t be, if the richest person on the earth is just carbon, then what exactly is used to measure this?! "A Silver Soul is worth a million Bronzes." Fayette''s lips quivered slightly, not liking where this is going at all! "And a Golden Soul like yours~" She moved from her place and approached Valentine, her figure towering above his slightly, her covered breasts crushing against his naked chest. Her wicked smile and shining slitted eyes stared at him with a gaze he didn''t recognise, but... It felt threatening. Their eyes stared at one another and her hand moved, grasping his abdomen! "A Golden Soul like yours is worth a hundred million Silvers..." Her gaze was no longer playful and her tone turned colder and colder, possessive, deranged! Fayette wanted to rush but her body froze! She couldn''t move! Neither could Vera! ''RELEASE ME, BITCH!'' Her hand snuck down like a viper and Valentine groaned, realising he could move he grasped her hand but with great difficulty! Lucretia''s hand moved his cloth aside and grasped his crotch directly with a wicked smile, her red eyes now shining way more than before. He grasped her wrist as tight as he could, stopping her from going further as a white flame shone in his eyes! "S-Stop!" "Hahaha~ As expected of a golden soul, do you want to know something?~" She didn''t listen and her hand started to tighten up. ''Dammit!'' "A golden soul is only beneath an ether soul... that''s the soul ''his'' son had, a trillion times more than a golden soul, aside from the upper echelons of heaven and hell, it has only existed once... so you can get an idea of how precious your soul is... usually, golden and silver souls go straight to Heaven, I wonder what kind of anger sin you committed to be sent down here like a sinner~" Her hand tightened even more as she whispered in his ear, as if she wanted nothing more than to devour him right now. Valentine wasn''t focusing on her words at all, his gaze remained focused on Fayette and Vera! Those two resembled wicked creatures more than humans now, they glared at the demoness as if THEY were the demonesses. "Even covered with all this dirt, I''d still fuck you all day if it means we can make a contract... It surely would take me to the ''Demon Countess'' or even higher... however, I know you can do better~" Her hand stopped suddenly and she released him. "I''ll wait until you give me a surprise and then... I''ll appear in front of you, demanding a contract." She uttered while playing with his hair slightly. "You are not a normal ''Demon Soldier''..." He sighed in relief wondering if she would have exploded his nuts if she applied a little more force. "Ho...?" She actually allowed him to continue his ''idea''. "I refuse to believe that a ''Demon Soldier'' could possibly contact someone high enough to tell you what my soul stage is... also, this power... ''he'' had this power. who are you, Lucretia?" His gaze turned cold, not liking the way this woman forced herself on him, as sexy as she is... "Hahaha... HAHAHAHA!! You''re too clever for your own good, Valentine... But your bowl for questions is as empty as my available time~" The demoness red eyes shone as she approached his face at that moment, refusing to answer his enquiry. "It''s my time to leave, I will see you around, if you work hard enough, who knows? maybe I will look for you myself." Her comment finished when she pulled his face and sealed his lips in a kiss! !!! Fayette and Vera''s eyes turned red at that moment! But they couldn''t move at all! The Demoness tongue wreaked havoc inside for a whole minute, sucking his tongue in her mouth afterwards, impulsing him to correspond, and for the last ten seconds... He did, only to push her away the next second. "I''m not your toy..." "Not yet..." Lucretia smirked while licking her lips, her gaze never leaving him and staring at Fayette''s bloodshot eyes occasionally. Her hand waved and a black smoke appeared in her hand, four ''stones'' belonging to the wolves he hunted before, flew inside her hand and disappeared in there. Then a bag of coins appeared in her hand with the same black smoke, full to the brim and she placed it in his rag. "Our exchange is thus finished... good luck, Valentine Wagner... Fayette Blanchet and Vera Sidorov~ You will need it, this is my last advice to you until we meet again, you better not let anyone in this world know that you''re gold and silver, even she as bronze, could get herself in quite the nasty situation if her soul is discovered..." Two massive wings sprung from her back, and without further ado, she flapped them in a gust of wind and flew away from the alleyway! "..." The three of them could only sigh, they had learned a lot today, but the situation didn''t seem to be any reassuring, is this city really peaceful? ... "Hmph, at least you still have your balls..." Fayette harrumphed and started to talk outside of the hallway. "..." (Valentine) "That''s wonderful, right? Take care of them or someone else might burst them up~" "..." (Valentine) An accursed city that wants him dead and two jealous girls, perfect, right? Chapter 22 - No More Taking The Piss The Trio walked down the city, sightseeing more than anything else, but a tense atmosphere permeated the three of them after the events that just took place. Fayette walked in front with an angry expression, refusing to talk to him. Vera walked behind also with an upset expression but not willing to admit it. The three of them, however, held a delicious bottle of water each... The first time in a year they had actually drunk clean water! "Faye, we should first look for lodging." He approached his angry woman, understandably so... "..." The woman pouted crossed her arms and moved her head away! Valentine didn''t know if he should sign or smirk, ''What are you, a jealous little girl?'' However, he could also understand¡­ if some man came and groped her breasts, he would at the very least cut the bastard''s hand off. But the blonde beauty couldn''t possibly do that to the obviously powerful demoness. ¡­ In the end he used his brain as always, Valentine smirked and hugged her abdomen moving his head to meet hers, "I''m sure there must be some kind of bath and shower there, you want to take a shower, don''t you?~¡¤ The mature lady still acted like a spoiled girl, blushed and pouted while moving her gaze away from his once again, but noticeably calmer. ''D-Damn you¡­'' He always knows what to say and when to say it. "I''m sure there must be some kind of good sauna with a big pool... we will pay anything just so you get all the pool for yourself~" Vera stared at them with a bit of jealousy but also amusement, Fayette could truly be cute when she didn''t want to. "O-Okay, but I haven''t forgiven you!" She yelled and kept walking strides, staring to the sides to every shop''s sign just to look for one that said ''Warm your arse here''. Valentine smiled with a victorious glint and followed suit, signalling Vera to come too. They didn''t have luck finding the ''Best Shower Room Ever''. But they did find some kind of Hotel that looked rather decent. Upon entering the ''luxurious'' place, the first thing they saw was a demon male with proper attire, upon staring at them, disgust became apparent but he didn''t show it outrightly... not like seeing a piece of shit on the road, more like the gaze of a rich bastard when he regards as vagrant from his sport car. Demons are shrewd. As long as the piece of shit has a diamond attached to it, it is no longer a piece of shit... And no one that has no money wouldn''t dare enter this place. "What can I help you with, dear customers~" He smiled and addressed Fayette. "..." Valentine frowned slightly. "I''d like to know how much is it for two rooms..." Fayette went straight to the point since she is the one being addressed. Vera couldn''t help but sigh inwardly in outrage! ''Two rooms!?'' Since when do they sleep separately? "Faye, there is no need to waste money in two rooms." She ''smiled'' to her dear friend but ''Faye'' wasn''t smiling at her at all! "Don''t worry, we can afford it~" Valentine wasn''t paying attention to them, his gaze was fixed in this demon whose gaze is focused on Fayette''s cleavage that despite being muddy and dirty, showed the premise of a big rack¡­ "If you keep staring... I''m fucking tearing your eyes off..." His voice contained endless poison, so what if he''s a demon? ''I''m still going to cut you down, motherfucker.'' The atmosphere just went from tense to volcanic! The Demon didn''t take kind of that comment, ''Hmph, measly human...'' but this is his job... Disregarding Valentine''s comment he addressed Fayette again "How about I show you one of the rooms, My Lady?~" Fayette who rejoiced upon hearing Valentine''s rant, gave her lover a sharp and amused glint! ''So you''re jealous now, huh?~'' "Why not? please, show me one of the rooms." She glared at the demon who smiled and lead the way where they all followed. They went through many room doors, carefully moving through the hallways least some ambush takes place. This was exactly like a four stars hotel... It''s bound to be expensive they thought, but after one year of straight hell, they thought they deserve at least this much before the true journey begins. The group entered a room after the man scanned some kind of card in a runic symbol on the door. It lit up with a red light, leaving the group in awe at the ''magic''. ¡­ The room was big with two cosy beds and a table. Nothing out of order compared to their previous world, but a paradise compared to that forest! "This is our standard room, my lady..." He turned to Fayette with a smile. "How much for one night?" "For you, I can give it to you for a month at a short price of a hundred amethyst coins... However, there is a condition..." He winked at her and grasped Fayette''s hand! !!! Valentine was about to draw his knife and slice this bastard''s neck! But Fayette released her hand quickly and stopped him, rather than feel disgusted by the demon she looked at her lover with amusement! It''s not everyday she gets to see the calm and calculating Valentine so worked up. Even if he''s not throwing a tantrum, it''s clear by his gaze alone that he''s looking forward to spilling blood. "Stop, honey... We don''t know if it will be too troublesome later with the authorities. " It''s so good to be at this end of the sword for once! Vera simply shook her head in exasperation. "What is the condition? that she sleeps with you right here!?" Valentine paid her no heed but moved his knife away. Indeed, it''s not wise to kill this demon when they''re still not completely sure of their surroundings. "Of course not you filthy brute... Not once... It''s that she will allow me to stay here with her through the whole month." The Demon said unashamedly and even winked at her, sad that she released herself, otherwise he would have made her grasp his crotch just to test the goods! "¡­" Oh boe, here we go killing again. ''YOU''RE FUCKING DEAD!'' He took the knife out as quickly as he drew it in! "Come on, calm down dear and you stop your nonsense" Fayette and Vera both restrained Valentine... It''s usually very difficult to take the unbridged assassin out of character. And this demon seemed to be doing it on purpose. Having had enough fun to calm her previous anger, Fayette grasped her lover''s hand lest he draws the other knife and slaughters this Demon, making them have to flee this city to the wilderness. "As you can see, my man doesn''t agree, can you give us the standard price?" She spoke seriously this time. "The standard price is three hundred coins for a week, ninety for a day~" ''What the hell is this difference in pricing?!'' "But I still have another offert~" The demon began with a wicked smile. Valentine rolled his eyes. "I can leave it to you for a hundred a week... In exchange for a kiss of either of these two ladies, a little one~" These demons truly don''t give it a rest. ... "I reject..." Fayette was quick to say but she regarded Vera. "I-I reject too..." Vera also stuttered but quivered when Fayette turned around with a glint. "Why? You''re single Vera... there shouldn''t be a problem..." Fayette stared at her friend with a sharp gaze and even Valentine could detect the poison in her voice. "Faye..." All Valentine received was a tight squeeze of his hand. "I..." Vera didn''t know what to say, she gazed in Valentine''s direction as if asking for help. "She doesn''t want to kiss you, stop with your nonsense and don''t force my hand demon... Here is for a whole month..." Valentine immediately got in front of Vera and took out several coins from his bag. "..." (Fayette) "..." (Vera) "I see... let''s go back so that I can hand you the seal, you have the right to use the shower room whenever you want and you''re entitled to a 20% discount at our restaurant." The Demon sounded rather disappointed. They all walked back with a stern atmosphere between them. Fayette was conscious that what she did was a dirty play, but even if her friendship with Vera had improved a lot in a year... Her thoughts hadn''t changed, in fact, the more her love for Valentine increased, the more assured she was of her decision. She knows Vera''s feelings but... It''s none of her business. She''s not sharing but¡­ Fayette also doesn''t dare to outrightly throw Vera away. It would be too heartless, in this god forsaken place, someone that can be trusted is optimal, and the three of them had formed a rather robust relationship. But she still can''t relent on that last step, whenever she thinks of it¡­ her waist itches so badly. ¡­ "Do you want a room or two?" The Demon Inquired. Before Fayette or Valentine could say anything, one of them spoke. "One is enough, please..." Vera said only to receive a cold and a concerned gaze, but she didn''t care. They have kept this status quo for half a year now, half a year ago when she finally acknowledged her feelings for Valentine. If she relents now, she''s going to be casted aside. But she''s more than motivated now, it''s the first time Valentine has sided with her, it might not be much, but it''s something. ¡­ They were given the key of the room and walked back in silence, not hand in hand as they would usually, just with tension. Inside the room, they regarded it for a minute before setting up their next destination. There were four bathrobes, four towels and many other garments such as sleepers. After washing their arms, they took all their garments, bags included to the Hotel''s bathroom. It was time to take a shower.... a real shower. Chapter 23 - A Years Worth Of Baths I Paradise. Three individuals, as muddy as they could get, leaving the sequelae of a year worth of struggle through a forest... mud, skin, flesh. Everything... When the three entered what the demon described as ''one'' of the massive bathrooms, it was empty and could be locked from the inside. Inside, paradise awaited. A massive pool with warm delightful water... many shower rooms, soap! SOAP! The two women seemingly forgot of the awkwardness from before, the moment the gargantuan ''volume'' of water was shown visibly in front of them, they couldn''t take it anymore! Rags of clothes flew everywhere when they got naked! !!! Vera intended to run straight for the pool but an arm grasped her hand and directly locked her in a wrestling lock to stop her! "Fool! Do you want the pool to turn black!? We have to go to the shower room first!" Fayette pulled the rabid Vera and the calm Valentine into the shower rooms. She pushed Vera inside one of the rooms and locked her in, "Make sure you clean every single hair!" She then pulled her amused boyfriend into another and once again closed it, making sure to lock it... twice. The mechanism worked the same way with a tap, the three of them couldn''t believe such a thing was their current life when not a day ago they had been running through that damned forest, running from their life, fighting creatures and humans. *DRIP! "YES!" They could hear Vera''s shouts from the other side, the girl was so exhilarated at the fact that she could finally take a shower, that she didn''t even care about Fayette and Valentine being alone in the other washroom. "..." Valentine''s gaze only locked on Fayette, how happy she looked at this ridiculous detail of life, water... it made the effort they pulled through to run out of that forest, worth it. "VALE, IT''S WATER! WATER!" Fayette technically drank the water that dripped from through her body, immediately causing a pool of black miasma beneath, bloody hell. "..." He could only laugh and lift up his face to let the water drip on top of him, it''s wonderful... this had been such a common commodity back in his life, he had always been a wealthy person, regardless of before or after being disowned by his father, he always knew the way through and never lived in poverty or extreme conditions except for when he was executing a mission. But, now... he could thoroughly enjoy this water flowing through every fibre of his skin. Immediately, the floor underneath turned black, all the dirty, all the mud, everything that had accumulated for a whole year came loose right at that moment... Fayette took what was on the counter, it seemed to be a soap bar but it was translucent and slimy... She had never seen such a thing before, but if it''s here... She took it a moved it through her body, and whenever that ''thing'' moved through, there was no more dirt! "What is this!?" She hadn''t seen such a product before. Valentine also took one and started to clean himself, however, he stopped when his eyes stared at Fayette, he didn''t notice she had been staring at him the same way a wolf looks at a sheep. But this sheep is equipped with a Cheytac Intervention, so she shouldn''t get conceited. A part of her body looked clean and pristine straight away, the contrast... wonderful. Her golden hair seemed to be finally coming back to life, together with her pristine clear skin that contained several small cars, and very few big ones, all of them seemed to be placed in the perfect spots, making her look even more perfect for him. One of her nipples seemed to rejoice at finally being uncovered for so long. But the blonde beauty didn''t pay attention to her own body, she paid attention to his. Those lines... they were clearer than ever now. She bit her lips and didn''t even try to conceal her heterochromatic eyes that moved up and down. On the other side of the shower, they could almost hear Vera''s pants, she seemed to be going rather wild with the soap. ... "I''ll clean you up..." He said first, and she smiled at his assertion. She was about to say just that. *** In the other cubicle, Vera desperately cleaned herself also using the ''sponge''. She moved the thing through her vagina several times... recalling... how disgusting that had been before. Memories of the things she lived went through her mind, how that bastard sullied her over and over... she cleaned and cleaned, even when her nether was more than glistening. Even then she continued to see the black coming out, spilling on the floor. ''Dirty... it''s dirty...'' She cleaned her butt, her breasts, her hair, her vagina... Over and over and over... ''It''s dirty... It''s still dirty!'' Her shoulder itched uncontrollably, she cleaned it as well. "Vera?" Her movements stopped when Valentine opened the door of her cubicle, she didn''t bother covering her naked body, they had seen each other so many times, they knew where they had birthmarks. "Valentine? I''m... I''m alright... You don''t need to worry." She stared at his now glistening and clean body, and couldn''t help but lick her lips, especially when she stared at his crotch, at that ''thing'' she had imagined so many times. It was overbearing. Valentine entered the cubicle instead, surprising her... "V-Valentine?" Her gaze moved subconsciously to the other cubicle where she assumed Fayette was now alone, or maybe she''s in the pool? Valentine didn''t say anything... His hand roamed her body and she stared at him with a complicated expression, she wanted to say ''S-Stop... Faye is right there...'' but couldn''t... Her desire took the best of her. His hand moved a coped one of her round breasts. "It''s dirty..." She said lightly and passed him the ''sponge'' with clear intent. He took it and started to scrub... "Hmn~" She moaned when the sponge scrubbed her breasts, taking another one from the counter, she moved towards him and stared at his crotch... "It''s dirty..." He said this time, with desire in his eyes and she rejoiced. "V-Valentine... I..." She whispered, now ''scrubbing'' him as well. "I... what?" He scrubbed faster until his pretentiousness gave place to even more shamelessness, it wasn''t enough... he discarded the sponge and used his fingers directly! !!! "Ahn!~ I love you, Valentine!" She moaned in ecstasy, the climax was on the corner! She kept ''stroking'' faster with one hand while the other... It fingered her own self into oblivion. !!! The climax approached too soon for her tastes, when the pleasure rained upon her, she realised no one was in front and her face blushed intensely! ''D-Did I moan that out loud!?'' She didn''t know she had been that desperate, or, is she? ''If only Faye wasn''t opposing...'' Her shoulder itched and she scrubbed it, harshly... ''If only Faye didn''t exist...'' ** ** Fayette and Valentine who had been scrubbing each other and kissing on the other boot suddenly stopped... Her threatening gaze, together with the firm grip on his crotch, made Valentine evade the arousal of the moan just now. ''"Ahn!~ I love you, Valentine!" ... "This is your fault..." She started with a whisper but never separated their now cleaned and pristine bodies, finally no mud. "How is this my fault?!" He retorted with a wronged expression, but inwardly... ''It''s obviously my fault...'' "You seduced her!!" She accused him forcefully and pressed him against the shower room''s wall. "How!? What did I even do?!" Tired of this, he grasped her butt harshly and pulled her until their flushed together even tighter. Indeed, he hadn''t been clear enough with this situation of Vera... he still doesn''t know what he feels, it''s complicated. He had cheated in the past, and it didn''t end well. He lost the two of them, not because they desired to end their relationship with him but... because everything finished too soon to even realise, like a castle of cards. And he doesn''t want the same to happen again. Valentine doesn''t doubt he loves Fayette, but Vera is also there... her past? he doesn''t care about her past, she''s not different from Rose. When he thought about everything deeply, he would come to the conclusion that he doesn''t love Vera... he appreciates her, wants to keep her close, trusts her, but he doesn''t love her... physical attraction? as much as any man would for a female, but not enough for him to lose his bearings and cheat on Fayette. If anything his lust for Fayette is becoming rather uncontrollable, a year of inhibitions were enough and it would end... tonight. ... It''s a complicated decision to take, he doesn''t love Vera, but he also doesn''t want to throw her away or tell her to go on her own, this is hell, not Earth, he can''t just give her money and tell her to go on her way, she''d be killed, abused, or worse... They had to stick together and in order for that to happen, he had to resolve this issue before it started going in the way of their teamwork. He doesn''t want the two of them that have become rather great friends to suddenly be at each other''s throats over him. ... The water rained on their nonchalant expressions as if a staring battle was going on just to see who''s right. Her green and blue eyes stared at his silver ones and she grasped his cheeks with love. "What are we going to do about this, honey?" She asked seriously, something had to be done... Vera had masturbated while thinking of him... right beside them. It pissed her off, but she couldn''t really stay upset at Vera for long, she truly liked the girl, she''s like her disciple. But... "You know I won''t accept it..." "I never said you have to..." He evaded her gaze. "But you considered it." "Let''s just leave that aside for now, we''re in this city now, the priority is to get to know things... there is no one to trust here, Vera is our friend, she''s like family." He concluded matter-of-factly. "..." She bit her lips and nodded, that''s the truth. They finished washing each other''s bodies, now cleaner than ever before. Two hours later after a lot of kisses and discussions. ... Fayette''s hair glistened in its golden splendour again, her mature and overbearingly sexy body having recovered all its fallen grace, the two knew very well what was going to happen today. "AHHH~" Valentine entered the warm pool, feeling like all of the brutal torture from those damned black clouds was now worth it. Fayette was about to enter with him, but they had been in the shower room for so long, yet Vera hadn''t come out. She gave Valentine a glance as if saying ''Should I...?'' Valentine shrugged his shoulders and got comfortable in the pool. "You should go... She''s your friend, isn''t she?" "Yours too..." "Do you want me to check her up then?~" He smirked, more than willing to comply. "N-No!" She harrumphed and turned heels, having her boyfriend swallow a mouthful at those wiggling-natural-toned pieces of flesh. "..." Perhaps he won''t be staying in the pool for long. ** ** Vera lied on the ground, the water falling on her, ashamed... Several tears ran down her eyes, ''How am I going to face them now?'' Her feelings were not a secret no anyone, she knew Valentine and Fayette are aware, despite their close relationship, there is this barrier that would always stop her from trying to approach more. The envy, the jealousy within her chest, whenever they were together and she was excluded. Gullible at first, now... toxic. *THUD* She heard the door of her cubicle open, it is Fayette. "..." "..." Immediately, apprehension filled her heart, ''Is she going to hit me?'' she got warned a year ago, and promised to keep her distance... But it was for nought, she still fell for him. "Are you going to kill me now?" She said with self-deprecation and also sadness. "..." Fayette didn''t say anything she just stood there and closed the cubicle''s door. Her expression, an enigma. Fayette walked up to her and sat by her side, with her back resting against the cubicle''s wall. "..." Vera waited for the fist but it never came. "I want to apologise, but I don''t know how to..." Fayette started with a sigh, hugging her knees. "..." Vera regarded the woman, noticing how incredibly gorgeous she is. "I don''t know how to because... I... believe I''m right, but also, it''s not fair to you... contrary to what you might believe... I like you very much, Vera... We like you in fact... You''re a very nice girl." "..." Could it be...? "And the fact that you think I would hit you or kill you because of this, it hurts a little bit... perhaps, I have been giving you the wrong image, or I have been too overbearing with you, I''m sorry..." !!! Vera gaped. She immediately wanted to apologise, it truly had been inconsiderate, Fayette might have been harsh with the training, but she had really never tried to injure or kill her. Fayette grasped a slimy soap and turned Vera around forcefully. "I''ll wash you up~" She tried to lighten the mood and then she started to wash her companion''s body with actual care... they had spent a lot of time together and finally managed to achieve what the two of them had desired for so long. A shower. "..." Vera closed her eyes as the water fell through her luscious body. Water.... unlike them, this hadn''t been a usual commodity for her before she came to hell, not for a long time. Chapter 24 - A Years Worth Of Baths II When they departed the cubicle amidst giggles and laughs, Valentine was still there, laying lazily against the edge not sleeping but his eyelids looked as if he wasn''t too far away from reaching Morpheus'' realm... The deep tension between the two seemed now nonexistent. Still, even inside this hotel he couldn''t just sleep and leave his guard down, at least not until he thoroughly checked its security. The two naked ladies came to a stop in front of him while he blatantly ogled... god gave him eyes to see. Valentine held a deep breath at the beauty of his two partners, especially Vera''s since he had already enjoyed Fayette''s. The blonde rolled her hair in a ponytail, her gorgeous self nothing except splendorous. Vera wasn''t too far either, her auburn silky hair fell down her butt and her captivated gaze, her body wasn''t voluptuous like Fayette''s she just had the right measures for everything. "You look gorgeous Vera." Valentine couldn''t help but exclaim, apparently coming to an arrangement of ignoring her glorious moan. "T-Thank you, don''t stare so much..." Vera didn''t cover her body but she did feel a little embarrassed, he had seen her naked before, but she was so dirty that she might as well have had an astronaut outfit. Their comments remained within the ''friend'' realm even as they unashamedly ogled at each other''s bodies. Fayette sighed at all this but didn''t say anything and just moved forward and entered the pool, she lay against Valentine while Vera sat beside him, at a right distance. ... Peace. No burning forest, no hungry wolves, no greedy perverts or pyromaniacs. Just some warm water and each other''s company. ... They lay like this for almost an hour when finally Valentine stood up thinking it had been enough, they would stay here for a long time so, surely having another day-long bath is possible some other time, now there are things to be done. "I''m going to clean the knives and our stuff, after that I will go straight to the room to check how secure that door is, I won''t be at ease with just a glimpse of that rubbish wannabe magic..." He reported and they nodded with a giggle. He got into a shower cubicle with all their things and started to clean them there, forgetting about the rags... they''d rather go around with their bathrobes until they found proper garments than those rags. ... Silence permeated between them once again. "Now that I remember, you never told us your story, Vera... Who were you before coming here?" Fayette naturally had a topic to break off this silence, it wasn''t an awkward silence, just that they were too relaxed to even talk normally. "I... It''s not important, I was just a common girl from Ukrania" She evaded the story. "Ukrainian? I thought you were Russian..." Fayette moved to her side and rested her shoulder against Vera''s with an inquisitive gaze. A regular Ukranian wouldn''t have a bronze soul... "Isn''t it the same...? I''m from the Russian Empire, the region of Ukraine, there is really nothing more... I was killed by the people that ''employed'' me... that''s how I ended up here. See? It''s unimportant... what about you and Valentine?" She gave a brief answer and immediately changed the subject! "..." ''That means she''s from before Ukraine became independent huh? but why is she so adamant about concealing it? if it''s anything dirty... I don''t think anything she says can change the way we view her... so why is she so adamant in concealing it?'' Fayette''s gaze progressively became sharper and sharper even making her quiver slightly. "We''re both from the future compared to your timeline... as you know." She decided to just let it go, when she''s ready to tell them, she will tell them. "Y-Yeah you told me that before, but... you didn''t say what exactly the two of you did" It was now time for Vera to get inquisitive! Indeed, she''s also aware of this ''bronze, silver, gold'' matter... and she''s curious about them... she doesn''t know exactly why would she be considered a bronze. ''Perhaps... Anastasia...?'' She shook her head with sadness, trying to focus on her partner''s story. "I was an army commander in France... as for Valentine... he was a terrorist that frightened the whole world at his time... he killed a lot of innocents, but he also killed a lot of crooks and corrupts but more so he slaughtered plenty of crooks and corrupt bastards..." She looked for the best way to summarize it without making her lover look like a psycho. A difficult matter. Hero of Justice? He''d feel offended if she said that. "W-What? Terrorist!?" Such a gentle and caring man... a terrorist?! It reminded her of Elke, the graceful lady they had buried when she had yet to make an appearance. Truly don''t judge anyone by their looks. Fayette herself didn''t give the commander bibes when one approached her casually, but if you met her on the street she looked more like a crooked lady than a commander, the scars in her luscious body just proved this point. Meanwhile, Vera''s body had minimal scars, they seemed to be more like burning marks than slicing marks, but they were minimal. ... It was immensely weird for her to see someone with the body of an international model, to also have so many scars. "Indeed, in the history books of our time, they called him a descendant of Adolf Hitler." Fayette turned her head towards Vera again, paying attention to her reactions. "Adolf Hitler?" She turned her head aside with wonder only to realise now the mistake she committed. "It''s okay if you don''t know him, he wasn''t that famous anyway~" Fayette smirked and lay against the pool''s edge. ''So you''re from before that... interesting.'' "..." Vera felt as if she just got played somehow. ** ** Inside the shower room, Valentine took out all of the crystals, careful to never let them lay directly on the ground just in case. He started cleaning all the knives, or the wolf claws to be more exact. It had been so long, the claws were not completely sharp, some of them were broken despite the fact that they got new ones a month ago. ''We need to get better weapons.'' He thought. If what that woman said is true, then they need to get the best weapons they can possibly get. Because the superiority demons have in regards to sheer strength is almost insurmountable, no matter how skilled he is, if he''s to fight someone that can destroy trees with his fists... he will die. Needless to say what would happen with Fayette and Vera. While he touched the knife, he thought deeply about their current circumstances. Everything is peaceful but it won''t last long, he knows that much. ''Lucretia Descartes'' That demoness, she didn''t give him a good premonition. Forget the weird French and Roman combination, she seems to possess no reward whatsoever for privacy and he even doubts she was honest with them. ... He thought of many things, but his thoughts eventually moved back to Vera and Fayette who seemed to be gossiping in the pool. When they picked up Vera they weren''t expecting much from her, but to think the girl gave them so many surprises. She was initially clumsy, hard-pressed to kill animals and even humans, but well... if someone knows how to teach anyone to survive it''s him and Fayette too apparently, he had been surprised by his girlfriend''s survival skills, not only is she a skilled fighter but also a great survivor. In some way it was expected from someone that was part of the French Ground Army, she had told him that due to being a female her training was harsher and biased, turning her into such a killing machine. She had been more than a little irritated at the fact that they don''t possess any kind of gun, she''s skilled with knives and a bow, but she''d obviously have a trusty desert eagle in her waist than an arrow. ''I wonder if we can get guns in here...'' It wouldn''t make sense if they could, this is a place created specifically to keep humans low, guns are weapons that could give humans the advantage over demons to a certain degree. ''We will have to look for one, else, I''ll just get her a bow and an arrow...'' Valentine yawned, he had been fighting between his self induced lust and his sleepiness. After a year they finally had some respite, and now that there is a comfy bed and a lukewarm atmosphere after a nice bath, he couldn''t help but want to sleep. But how could he possibly ''sleep'' when Fayette is sending him all those signals!? The shame of falling asleep when your woman wants some action, it never happened to him, and this won''t be the first time! ** ** "I''m finished, I will be going to the room girls, if anything happens, shout... and keep the door closed." He prepared to retreat to the room with his gaze locked on Fayette. The woman''s predatory gaze couldn''t be any more clear. "Alright honey, I''ll be there shortly~" She giggled while Vera nodded as well, though she already had an idea of how the events were going to take place. Valentine left the room closing it with a lock and leaving the two girls who just kept relaxing in the bath, cleaning their hair with their breasts floating above the water surface leisurely. "..." "..." "You''re going to stay here for a while, right, Vera?~" Fayette asked with a ''smile'' breaking the silence only to leave an even more awkward silence. "Do I have an option?" Vera sighed and hugged her knees "No, you don''t... an hour, relax here for an hour, you haven''t had a bath for a year so surely an hour is not too much for you~" "An hour!?" She couldn''t believe it, does she have to soak here for an hour while they have fun!? "Wait, two hours... an hour might be a bit-" Fayette thought that it''s impossible or the lust to subside in just an hour. "Are you crazy!?" "What... is it too low?" "It''s too damn much! what are you, rabbits?!" "Not yet~" ... *sigh* "... Faye... you have to pay more attention." Vera sighed and turned to the side, suddenly turning into "Oh?" Fayette doesn''t know what she means. "I know the two of you have a lot of tension but... I can clearly see that you''re tired and he''s too... why not wait until tomorrow...?" "..." She knows that Valentine is tired and she is too, but she can''t help herself. They have waited too long for this and the atmosphere is just perfect. She eventually just sighed in resignation. "I understand... one hour it is." she smirked shamelessly and stood up, letting the warm water flow through her every fibre. ... "YOU!" Chapter 25 - A Typical Married Couple I Valentine eventually left the massive bathroom, using his bathrobe and sleepers. On his way to the room, he didn''t meet a single human or demon. Had he not been assured that this is a city that prohibits violence, he''d think this whole hotel thing is a setup. There is simply no customers here! But that could be attributed to many things. According to what Lucretia told them, logically, there are not many cities with an anti-violence rule such as this one. If demons are the ones that are able to hold properties and charges, that means they''re also capable of having houses, flats or whatever way of permanent lodging exists in this city. That means only one thing¡­ These hotels are almost always for the exclusive use of humans unless a Demon is on holiday? Or come to this city from another city for any regard. The whole notion sounded ridiculous, but he wanted to get used to it. Arriving in the room the first thing he did was to once again do an inventory, the things they could sell and the things they could hold. *** 15 Creature stones. 20 ''carbon'' human souls. 10 wolf claws. 4 bear claws. 198.800 Amethyst Coins. That''s as much as their improvised rags could get, otherwise, it would have been much more. For a whole year, they had definitely amazed more than a hundred creature stones, but they had eaten most of them or simply left them taking those that seemed bigger or more precious. Same with the claws, they had hundreds, but there was no use to go around carrying so many claws. Lucretia had given him 50.000 for each creature stone, those were from the biggest and most threatening wolves and predators they had found in that forest. So it is safe to assume that they''re rich¡­ However, the question stands. Where would he store all this money if humans aren''t supposed to hold anything, he doesn''t believe there are banks in this world and if there are, surely humans can''t use them. He''d have to investigate this. And also, how exactly does the card to open this gate work? there are too many questions that need answering and he''s not willing to pay a thousand coins for each answer... *** It didn''t take long for someone else to open the door. Valentine who had been calmly laying on the bed stared at Fayette whose wet golden hair is in a ponytail, dressed in her bathrobes that suddenly became loose. Her wet skin glistened in between. "¡­" "¡­" The tension increased to unprecedented levels at that very moment. "Vera won''t come for another hour¡­" She closed the door behind and placed her hand above a pentagram seal, they still didn''t know how this shit worked¡­ but it worked. It locked the room. Valentine sat on the bed and opened his bathrobe. She licked her lips and gracefully opened hers, letting it fall from her body, right on the ground. "I gave her the key¡­" She licked her lips with high expectations for tonight "Let''s not waste time." He growled and she lounged on him! Their mouths attracted like magnets and Fayette roughly pinned Valentine on the bed, pressing her crotch above his length! The wrestling continued for several minutes until they covered each other with the bed quilt! "Hmn~ no one is going to enter and attack us~" Fayette spoke amidst their kiss feeling her love fondling her to his heart''s content! "Y-Yes, we have some respite!" Valentine couldn''t have enough of her delicious lips. "Honey, are you thinking the same thing that I do? Ahn~" She embraced him possessively but he roughly turned her around and pressed his length against her fat butt. "I believe I am~" Placing one of his rough arms against her big chest, he pinched her nipple once. She moaned lustily, but another thought was seriously permeating her mind at that moment. ¡­ "Good, Let''s sleep!" She turned around and kissed her beloved one last time before the two fell on their bed, totally defeated after a whole year of fighting for their lives! "Love you, Honey." "Love you too Faye." Spooning his dearest and with his hand tightly gripping her chest, Valentine and Fayette had the first full sleep, as a couple. Yeah, she''s just too tired to continue and so is he, sleep it is. As for Vera, she would come an hour later anyway. *** Vera purposely stayed in the bath for a whole hour, not wanting to leave the hotel without them, she finally walked back, expecting to hear a lot of moans and grunts. Those two had lusted after each other for so long and restrained themselves for the sake of survival and hygiene¡­ She didn''t believe one hour would be enough to satisfy them, but she still convinced Fayette, how could she stay more than an hour in that bath, imagining all the things they would be doing!? But behind the door, she heard nothing. ¡­ ''Maybe they''re the quiet type¡­'' She thought whether she should give them more time, but¡­ While she imagined the thought of the two people she loved pleasuring each other¡­ she couldn''t help but want to join. Perhaps if she approached in a more aggressive manner, they would let her in? ''Sorry, Faye but¡­ I can''t give up, for the two of you, I won''t ever give up¡­ even if I''m dirty.'' She opened the door at that moment, hoping to find herself in front of a rendezvous of debauchery. She entered quietly, careful to not make any noise, looking from one corner to the other, total silence... She closed the door and locked it. Where are the ravenous moans? the vigorous thrusts!? All she saw was Valentine tightly hugging Fayette, the two were naked, half of their body covered by the bed quilt. Valentine is spooning Fayette as they snored peacefully, like a saint couple. ... She didn''t know what to think, they looked... cute. A smile crept her face, they truly deserved this. For a whole year they fought and fought, she still recalls how they said her survival was up to her... liars, they still took care of her in the end, going as far as to teach her how to defend herself and fight... That''s why. ''I won''t give up until you accept me, Faye...'' She walked up to her bed, switched off the table''s light by placing her hand on top of it like the Demon taught them and lay on her cosy bed... the best bed she had ever rested on, in her entire life. She knows Valentine has feelings for her, but he restrains himself because of Fayette... and even if he doesn''t have feelings, he at least holds her in high appreciation, eventually... she can create them with time, there are no problems at all, she just has to... somehow convince Fayette. A difficult task. This is hell, you can''t trust anybody, that''s a common thought and it had become even more apparent for them after an entire year of fighting other humans, indeed... the sinners were all sent here. She''s now lucky enough to find two people she can trust her life with, there is no way she''s leaving this behind. They''re going to be living here for a long time, and she can''t find anyone better to spend it with than them, she just has to surpass this hurdle. ''I love you both...'' She thought of that and went to sleep *** Valentine opened his eyes briefly, not having slept so well for... who knows how long, even before coming to hell he hadn''t slept like this with Rose. Truly the fatigue took the best of him, to the point he even lowered his guard in this place. In his arms rested the love of his life. He had never felt anything so strong for someone, not even his sister or Francesca... he felt he could literally die for her, in fact, he has almost died for her several times before coming here. And she''s the same. His hands softly caressed her body, he had the smile of a fool all over. Her body is so perfect, a woman in her prime, the top beauty. His fingers outlined her big chest, so round and plump, her butt pressed tightly against his crotch. She looked pristine, better than the first time they saw each other in that cave, back then they were still rather clean, not covered in a year''s worth of dirt. Just thinking about the things they had gone through together, made him feel goosebumps. The heat in his crotch increased as he played with her nipple and she shifted slightly. ''I want to take her...'' That was his primal thought, done with the resting, it''s time for action. But he couldn''t bear to wake her up, she looked so beautiful while sleeping, her silky golden hair smelled so well. "Hmn~" The beau french lady shifted slightly and pretty eyelids fluttered open, a smile creeping up her face. "Umm, someone''s hungry~" Her soft hand moved up to her chest that was being cupped by a mischievous hand. "..." Valentine remained silent with a smile softly moving his crotch back and forth. "Hmn~ So, is the thief going to play the silence game~?" She never opened her eyes, just playing along with her lover, feeling the heat starting to take over as that hard and sturdy thing knocked on her flesh insistently. "Dear, if the thief makes a lot of noise, the owner is going to realise~" He decided to keep the playful banter, feeling like he had all the time in the world to please this beauty. "Honey, this owner is more than a little aware, amhn~" The beauty lowered her hand and the ''handling'' started, the teasing. "I love you, Faye" He confessed and prepared for the big entrance, careful to keep silent, he didn''t want to wake Vera up and Fayette didn''t want either. "I love you too Vale~" ... The two of them exhaled a deep and lusty breath when the long-awaited union finally took place, their first time. "It''s as... wonderful as I expected~" Fayette panted and shifted a little uncomfortable, trying to look for the best position to take him in. He didn''t answer, the passion ensued swiftly but with primal authenticity, more than lust, there is love. More than reckless thrusting, there is passive rubbing. Delightful. ** ** "For a military commander, you''re truly flexible, moreover, it seems that in the future the art of sex seems to have grown a little... decaying." He complimented after the hour-long session finished, she had really left him rather awestruck with her versatile positions. "Is that so?~ well, it''s complicated, we don''t really do it in person anymore, there are virtual environments that can increase a person''s sensitivity and the like, there is all kind of shit that you surely don''t want to know but... I loved it all~" Fayette embraced him as she playfully mawed on his chin, they were still joined and embracing, ready for another ''round''. Of sleeping. Chapter 26 - A Typical Married Couple II "How about we play a game before we sleep, now that we have gone all the way to the end?~" Halfway through their sleep, Fayette felt like doing something else, in all truth, the lust hadn''t yet subsided, but after such a wonderful session of true lovemaking, lust seemed to be... unimportant. "Oh? and what kind of game is that? sounds ominous to me..." "The game where we say each other''s truths to one another~" "We have played that before, I never win." He sighed and embraced her harder, hoping they could just sleep and forget this game. Two lovers telling each other their secrets, what could go wrong? "Because you''re the nastier one out of the two of us, and that''s a lot to say... that''s why I love that game~" "Okay, Faye... okay... just say the topic..." He relented with an amused smile, how could he reject anything she proposes. The last topic they played was ''public embarrassment''. Something they did to embarrass each other in public. She said that during a military presentation that was being watched by millions, she stepped on the wrong step of the ladder and fell on her butt... the person in charge of setting up the ladder was executed. ''No wonder you''re in hell'' that''s what he said and he got scolded for his lack of ''pudor''. Thankfully they met in hell and they''re from different timelines, if they were in the same timeline, he''d have definitely murdered Fayette, beauty or not. As for his ''public embarrassment'', well... that''s likely the reason she wants to play again. He was recorded having sexual relationships with a female outside of his matrimony, the woman wasn''t identified but despite his incredible reputation across the United Kingdom and Europe, he still got a great deal of hate and a lot of shame fell on his wife, Francesca. He might have done worse things publicly, but this is no doubt, the matter of most embarrassment for him, more for his wife than himself, he''d really done something horrible to her. Obviously, since then the beau blonde Fayette Blanchet hadn''t stopped her intents on trying to play the game again trying to fish for more information! "The topic is... who is that mysterious girl?~" She unashamedly stated her intentions, with their sweaty bodies joined together in the most primal of ways, does he dare reject her!? "Rejected..." He dares... "Y-You! isn''t it here where you try to spoil your woman!?" "Who told you that? that''s Texas'' constitution, we''re in Wyoming..." "Don''t play that card on me, Valentine Wagner... this is hell, not the United States!" "What''s the difference?" He smirked and gave her butt a playful squeeze. "... I''ll ignore that... I lived in the US for a long time you know, also, don''t try to change the subject, I know that you''re a scoundrel, it won''t work on me!" She pouted and squeezed his in return, it''s bad but not that extreme... ... "... change the topic and we will see..." he still tried to negotiate, he can''t get out of this mess, he can only lower the backlash. "I will change the topic but you can''t reject again..." She set up her clauses as well. "It''s going to be worse, right?" "Yes~ but you won''t reject because you love me, right?~" "..." "Right...?" "O-Of course..." "Good~ the topic is... who and how did you lose your virginity with!?~" She giggled and awaited his delighted acceptance. "Rejec- UGH!" He felt his little brother get squeezed harshly inside that cave! "YOU CAN''T REJECT!" "Hmph! aren''t you afraid that I will love you less after your answer?~" Second tactic, delude and coerce. "Honey, you''re deep inside and my womb is full, I think it''s a little late..." She said honestly with a deadpan. "You go first..." It''s always better to go afterwards to these kinds of ''games''. "Very well, mine is rather anti-climatic, we finished a three-year campaign in Poland, my mother was trying to engage me with some rich bastard, I rejected once again, but felt deeply irritated at her insistence, I had been moving up in the chain of command but she seemed to not acknowledge my efforts no matter what I did..." "..." He can understand how that feels, to not have your efforts acknowledged. It happened with his father all the time, not with his mother, she would always support him no matter what, their relationship was... special. "That night we all got drunk before flying back to Toulouse and I just did it with the commander in order to spite my mother... if I wasn''t ''pure'' it would be harder for her to hook me up with anyone and at that time and well... he seemed like the best option... he tried to marry me afterwards as it so happened that he had been trying to make moves on me, but I rejected him and we never saw each other again more than in some army meetings, the end~" She concluded her story, it truly seemed as if she didn''t give the thing enough importance. "And what''s his name?" "I don''t remember~ why? are you going to look for him and kill him again, are you jealous?~" "Hmph! do you think I''m that type of man?!" "Says the one that was about to cut down that demon''s neck?" She smirked and showed him a mocking glance. "You were going to cut down Lucretia''s neck too." He gave her a furrowed gaze, also with a smirk of his own. "Do you dare to remember that bitch''s name!? Forget it now! w-wait... you... don''t evade the subject, tell me who took your virginity! damn you!" He almost fooled her! this bastard, how can he be so crafty!? "Shit..." He twisted his tongue in annoyance, Fayette is too smart for her own good, she''s definitely the most clever woman he has ever had. His other women he''d usually play them like a fiddle, not in a manipulating way, but in a crafty way, they didn''t have Fayette''s perspicacity. "Hmph! open that delicious mouth of yours and say... who is it?! is it the same woman who you used to cheat on your wife!?" "..." ''Who is jealous now? and how could you even arrive at that conclusion!?'' In her own perspective, Fayette imagined he was forced to marry someone he didn''t want, he''s after all, the son of a noble and he had to marry whoever he was told to marry, this isn''t something that applies just for females. Males too. He married this woman but kept his crush to the side, at least, that''s what she presumptuously assumed just like any woman... and she''s deeply concerned about this woman''s identity. She wasn''t wrong. But nothing could prepare her for the natural tonality with which Valentine answered her enquiry. "Well, I lost my virginity when I was sixteen years old, with my sister, in my room... happy?" ".. Ah?" "And before you ask, yes, that woman was my sister..." He spilt all the beans, better now than never. "... Eh?" "And I had an ambiguous relationship with my mother as well during the latter parts of her life before she got murdered by that bastard... but we kept our boundaries." He uttered with poison. "... Ih?" But Fayette''s brain had already turned into mush. ... "You''re joking... I-I know you always do worse in this game but... this is ridiculous..." "It''s the truth... in fact, it''s not a secret, just that it didn''t go public in order to protect the Wagner''s reputation, or Magnus'' reputation, to be more precise." Just uttering that name produced disgust within him. "And I hope you don''t think you''re going to leave me like this, you''re going to explain everything, now..." Fayette''s cold glare wasn''t a joke, now that her curiousness got picked, she won''t let this matter rest until she''s satisfied. "Now? Vera is about to wake up..." "I don''t care! why your sister?! a-and your mother!? how could you!? you disgusting pig!" She uttered with some mock disgust, not even trying to separate from him in the slightest, this... is not weird at all, for her timeline, not his... "I told you we did nothing!" "And this is the part where I believe you?" "Yes?" He smirked shamelessly. "Honey that would be a boring book, I don''t believe you!" "Well then...if you don''t believe me, I don''t have to give you any details, right?~" "Okay, I believe you! now start talking, the sun is going to come out..." "There is no sun here Faye..." "Valentine Wagner you better start talking now or..." "or what?~" He squeezed her butt tighter in a challenge, awaiting the moment she would say ''or we will go another round''. "o-or I''ll squeeze it so hard that the head will pop out..." The blonde knows where to hit if she wants to cause critical damage moreover... she has him in the right spot to go about her threat. "..." "..." "Okay, no need to get violent alright?" He sweated bullets, rule number one of survival, don''t take the piss out of someone that''s holding you at gunpoint. And well, his little brother is currently at gunpoint. ''Guess I''ll have to talk....'' Chapter 27 - Not So Typical "You and I weren''t much different when I was a child I was always under huge pressure... from one side, my mother asked a lot out of me because she didn''t want me to stay in the house for longer... it''s only later that I came to know that it was for my own sake... I initially believed that she hated me." "..." Fayette listened attentively. "Even before I turned ten, I was already betrothed, my wife was going to be Francesca Anglesey the daughter of the house of a royal duke, one of the most beautiful and famous girls of the UK back then." ''I can recognise that name... indeed, she was his only wife.'' "My sister... Christine, she was three years younger than me... we had a very close relationship because the same was expected from both of us, we didn''t have any friends, we weren''t allowed to... and the ones that we were allowed to befriend would usually just provide lip service, trying to appease to my father in their parent''s behest... just like me before when she turned ten, she was betrothed... the boy''s name was Albert Hamilton, he was the most famous and renowned after me and the royal princes, we were originally intended to be betrothed to the Royal family, but my father rejected... even from then, his intentions were clear, I just couldn''t see it." Fayette obviously knows what he''s talking about, she was the heir of house Blanchet, it''s not a noble family, but it''s a family with a lot of wealth and enterprises that stood at the peak of France for centuries, a branch of the Arnault family, her fate wasn''t much different than his sister. "We grew closer and closer until our feelings became apparent, we both wanted to flee that house, we both didn''t want to marry... Albert and Francesca came to the house often and the four of us were rather good ''friends'' but my sister and I only had one another in our eyes. Francesca was obviously infatuated with me, and so was Albert with Christine... our parent''s alliances seemed to become stronger and stronger, to the point my father tried to keep me together with Francesca at all times while in the back, he took over the royal family''s shady businesses with the Anglesey family, with time I grew some feelings for Francesca as she was really a sweet girl with the best intentions, but it couldn''t compare to what I felt for my sister... this obviously made my sister upset as she saw me spend more time with Francesca more often... in order to spite me, she started spending more time with Albert and less time with me, but I could see the poison of her gaze whenever she saw me with Francesca." "..." She didn''t expect the life of two little kids to be so dramatic. "At that time we were no longer little kids... we already had some notion of ''romance'' and ''jealousy'' and when I saw the two of them getting closer, I couldn''t take it... one day we fought, hard, we even hit each other, I was always stronger but Christine was more intelligent, that however, didn''t mean that she was weak... our father trained the two of us as if we were soldiers instead of kids... we fought harshly, she told me that she didn''t like watching me together with Francesca, I told her the same... the fists suddenly turned into caresses, and then into kisses... and... well, you know the rest... we did it." "... you did it with your sister when she was thirteen..." She sighed, what a mess. "We were just kids Faye..." He scratched his head with a certain degree of shame. "But you didn''t stop... did you...?" "..." "Vale." "No, we didn''t... but we also weren''t stupid, we knew that we did something that she shouldn''t have but... we weren''t willing to just stop, so we took our precautions, all kind of precautions, and continued..." "..." "From that moment on, I and my sister started to work and study even harder on ourselves, now we truly wanted to leave that place, only by leaving that place would we be together, the distance between us, Albert and Francesca eventually grew... and we were no longer the good friends that we once were... Albert hated me, Francesca hated Christine... they knew something was going on, but they didn''t dare measure the deepness." "However, in the end, it was all for nothing... we reached adulthood and despite our best achievements and ever-increasing fame, we were still subjected to house Wagner''s rules... worse, mother discovered our relationship and pushed the marriages to take place quicker, she didn''t want to go along with Magnus'' plans... but she also didn''t want to see us together doing those disgusting things, we were scolded, slapped and separated, my sister moved out of the house to live directly in Albert''s family''s mansion. I was moved to Francesca''s family''s mansion... and the marriages took place, first I married Francesca when I reached my 18th years... then Christine married Albert even sooner when she was 17th... they couldn''t wait even a little more" "..." Fayette thought it''s kind of sad, as of now she doesn''t like either Christine or Francesca, but if she had to choose, then it would be Francesca, perhaps her bias acting. "Needless to say, our relationship continued secretly... we never stopped it, but it only grew more toxic... more possessive, into something wretched that shouldn''t have happened... my relationship with Francesca didn''t start badly, but it stagnated over time... she realised that I was cheating on her and that it was that Christine, it was too much of a coincidence that we would always be together in some key places, Francesca wasn''t stupid and neither was Albert... the four of us were just enemies fighting in the background... keeping a pretentious visage to the front... and yes, we were found once doing it in a hotel in Germany after my sister successfully gave birth to Albert''s son, if it really was..." It was never proven, he smirked right at the end with endless poison, that''s why he would never forget the exhilaration that he felt when he finally plunged a knife right in Albert''s corpse... yes, his corpse, sadly... he hadn''t been the one to kill him. "Do you think it was yours?" "I don''t know... it might have been, Christine never told me... she always said it was Albert''s, the point is that after she achieved that, she really had no more reason to stay in that mansion, she accomplished what was expected of her, so we bought a house in Germany and moved there, yes... I technically moved there only going back to Britain every so often... I really... did Francesca wrong greatly... Christine might have achieved her goal, but Francesca didn''t, it was much later that I knew she was taking the pill, she didn''t want to get pregnant because she knew I would just go away after that, such a bastard I was..." even self-mockery is not enough to express how much he hates himself for this... not for going about with that relationship with his sister, but due to how much he wronged Francesca, perhaps, he could have done it a better way. "..." Fayette really felt some pity for Francesca, she could place herself in the latter''s shoes... after all, it''s the same situation that''s currently happening with Vera, just that it hasn''t reached that extent. "We spent a lot of time there and were eventually found out, Magnus somehow managed to hide my sister''s expression from the picture and some mansion''s maid passed as the woman in question, but Francesca knew better... and that''s when things started to deteriorate, for the worse..." "... and?" "And that''s the end of it, I answered your question so let''s go and sleep." "You can''t possibly leave me like this!? you haven''t told me about your mother yet! and what happened to Francesca! you have to tell me!" She shook him over and over, but Valentine''s eyes were already closed within the darkness. *Snore* "Bastard!" Fayette shook him over and over, but the bastard would keep pretending he was sleeping no matter how hard she squeezed him down there... it seems the game is finished. ... Valentine''s thoughts were marred with memories. ''What happened to Francesca? She''s probably in the heavens... far away from me, as far as she can possibly be... the way it has to be... she fell in love with the wrong individual, a piece of shit that never treated her well or valued her, hell is really the right place for me, even without anger, even without killing a single soul, I''m still just a piece of shit with some good skills....'' Chapter 28 - The Primal Union Of Souls Vera Sidorov''s eyelids fluttered open after what she considered to be her most perfect night ever. She felt warm and cared for. The candles of the room were blazing with a calm light as this room didn''t have light coming from the outside, obviously, Valentine had left them on, in case of ''anything''. A delicate and delightful smell permeated her nostrils, like lavender. When she finally regained her bearings, she noticed she was being embraced by two people. In front of her was the sleeping Valentine, with one of his legs entangled with hers and his arm on top of her waist. !!! She didn''t know what was going on until she felt a mumble from the back, and felt another hand take her waist and pull her in. It''s naturally Fayette whose head was resting on her head hair as she felt her soft breathing on her neck. The two of them were wet and smelled like they took a shower not too long ago. She felt bewildered, they didn''t do anything...? Either she slept like a log and didn''t hear anything, or their ''activities'' didn''t take place at all. She lifted up slightly and moved her gaze to the door that was still closed, then to the bag with their things that were still there... no one had come in, it seemed the doors were really secure. Valentine had checked them up yesterday, he tried to break in with the door closed and couldn''t. The only way to open it would have been with another one of those ''keys''. Her movement produced the two lovers to wake up at the same time. As if he had always been awake, Valentine''s eyelids opened with a headstart, the first thing he did was to gaze at Vera''s big beautiful eyes. "Good Morning, Vale... or afternoon, I don''t know anymore." Vera kissed Valentine''s cheek and smiled, she hadn''t expected this warm move coming from them. Before answering her, Valentine did the same action she had performed before, checking their stuff. "I don''t know either... how did you sleep?" Valentine caressed Vera''s hair and asked while his gaze remained on Fayette who unlike him, always took her time to fully wake up. "Perfectly, I have never slept so good in my life... or my death?" She smirked and even took advantage of the situation to let her hands move around. "Let''s sleep a little more..." Those were Fayette''s first words, after checking everything is alright, she came to the conclusion that they''re safe, for now. She''s tired. ... After their first lovely session and the ''game'' everything turned ridiculous, they slept yes. For ten minutes. ** ** She was woken up by sudden thrusts and could hardly repress her moans. The two of them didn''t want to wake Vera up, especially in the circumstances they were in, the girl was bound to feel bad. But the passion couldn''t be repressed. "Let''s go to the bathroom, we can... have a shower and some more..." His husky voice suggested but didn''t stop his hips. Fayette moaned and nodded before they separated, took their bathrobes silently, took the key from Vera''s table together with a knife just in case, locked the door desperately and ran... ran towards the bathroom. The hallways were empty with only the noise of their pants and steps resonating through the luxurious place. Once they entered and locked the door, their feelings could no longer be repressed. What was supposed to be a bath session ended up as a three-hour full-fledged lust-filled encounter with moans and grunts being released constantly through the whole ordeal. It''s like what they did before was but an appetizer. The two of them felt ecstatic, this lovemaking was like nothing the two of them had experienced before, even for Valentine, his experiences with his beloved sister, Christine... paled in comparison. Their souls screamed in joy at the union and they wouldn''t stop seeking each other''s bodies until the hours they had rested before seemed to become nonsensical. Fatigue took over giving way to satisfaction and they finally stopped the barrage of pleasure, cleaning each other in order to look once again ''pristine''. "T-That was, amazing... Vale, I have never felt anything like that... a-and that''s a lot to say... I love you..." Fayette smiled with happiness as he cleaned her hair, some of his ''liquid'' fell there by mistake... or not. "What do you mean that''s a lot to say!?" The reaper immediately stopped with outrage. "I mean... in the future we no longer have sex in reality..." "...?" "In the future, humans spend most of their time in virtual worlds... there, feelings and sensations can be controlled, to seek a better ecstasy, to seek a great climax, everything is altered to the point that sex with our bodies is nonsensical, before meeting you, I didn''t use my body for that in a long time... and what I felt today with you, it far outstripped everything I have felt before, I don''t know why it''s like my soul is content..." She took his palm and kissed it with infatuation. She couldn''t explain it, it''s the satisfaction that comes after one has struggled a lot. As if she ran a race across the entire Earth, and when she finally finished, Valentine was there, waiting for her in the line with a can of water ready to sate her thirst. She just couldn''t explain it, but it''s the most satisfaction she has felt in her entire life. Valentine wasn''t much different, what they did today, wasn''t just lust... there is something beneath, but he can''t get the gist of it yet. Much like her, he felt as if after battling a hundred soldiers, she was there, waiting to heal his wounds, giving a massage and kissing his forehead. It wasn''t the satisfaction of the body, it was the passion of the spirit. ... "You have virtual words, yet wars are still waged physically?" He smirked and continued to clean her silky hair, he sat on the edge and she was between his legs. "Well, you know how we humans are... wars in the future are a mix between humans and robots, more humans than robots still, as they''re seemingly unable to make complex decisions, yet... but well, due to a particular treaty and event nuclear development got halted, that meant that we were back to the days when there wasn''t nuclear deterrent... but it became worse... the poor countries became our battleground... Africa, South America, middle-east..." "..." "Even your actions could be said to have caused a major impact... you might have not known but your action changed the entire destiny of the world..." "What do you mean? what did I do?" "Do you remember that time that you filtered information of the entire world''s entire nuclear scheme? I think that''s one of the reasons I became a fan of yours... you used Russian servers when you did that to pass as a Russian hacker to deviate attention, in truth you were using an inhibitor and sending them from Canada." She smirked and splashed some water on and about with her luscious legs. "Yes... how did they-?" They shouldn''t have been able to recognise his movements. "As the world moved forward, so did technology, everything in the web is registered somewhere, with enough AIs investigating and trying to cover the matter, it didn''t take long before your movements came to life, but by then you were long dead and I wasn''t yet born." "Why do you know all these things, Faye?" "Because the world didn''t want another ''you'', Vale... so we were forced to study all your movements, all your patterns, to prevent another ''you'' from coming to life... we know everything about you, what became public... that''s why, I know what happened with your sister, but I don''t know what happened with your mother or Francesca, I assume that''s some deep secret related to Magnus, correct? According to the registries, they were murdered by your enemies due to their connection with you, this is not correct, right?" She continued to press on a little bit. "Yes... I don''t want to talk about it, Faye." He said finally, still not willing to talk. ... "I understand, you don''t have to if don''t want honey, I know when to stop..." She caressed his cheek lovingly and he continued to clean her hair that was already more than clean, but he likes cleaning her long golden hair. "Anyway, to summarize... an event took place roughly a hundred years after your death... an asteroid was going to fall on Earth, a moderate-sized one, not big enough to produce extinction, but big enough to cause a catastrophe whenever it fell. Guess where it was going to fall?" "... I don''t know, it could be anywhere... Europe?" He just said name for the sake of saying it, not really having an idea, but to think an asteroid would truly fall. "No... The United States, Pueblo Arkansas." The blonde smirked, knowing her man would come to a conclusion with those mere words. And she wasn''t wrong... "I see..." "Care to come up with a hypothesis?~" She caressed his tights and awaited. ... He remained silent for a while, considering a few things. "Let''s see... if it''s a hundred years in the future... is the president of the united states a descendant of Carter Evans or Donald Collins?" "So you''re asking whether he was a member of the red party or blue party? what makes you think it''s going to be either of the two? it could be anyone else..." She furrowed her brows slightly. "Their influence..." he shrugged his shoulders, a hundred years is too much to make an accurate conclusion, they''re dozens of governments that could be established during that time, but politics and the capacity to tell lies are in the blood. "It''s a descendant of Donald Collins, and?" She answered for him, giving him one last hint. "Red Party huh... then I assume a hundred of years in the future, the US used the information I filtered to keep a close watch of the countries with a nuclear deterrent, there were a lot of them listed in there that weren''t public, like Mongolia, that''s because those countries weren''t the ones to develop them, they were developed by others in their territories to conceal it... if I remember correctly there was even a Russian one in Madagascar... anyway, at that time they were already developing projects to go to mars and whatnot, I assume in a hundred years that might have taken a nice turn, right?" "Indeed..." "Then the answer it''s simple, my information was only useful to keep track of who actually had atomic bombs and where did they have them the quantity didn''t matter... and the location was bound to change, but if I''m correct what they did was to repress this information as much as possible, they couldn''t just risk the move a hundred bombs in Madagascar from one place to the other in plain view when everybody else in the continent knows what''s in there... in a hundred years more than a thousand more bombs can be generated, and even more powerful than a hundred years ago... being in the point of impact of the asteroid, it was more than convenient for the US to push the other countries to put their nuclear assets together to clear this threat... using the technology developed by this company that wanted to go to mars, they sent the nuclear bombs against key spots of this asteroid and blew it apart... whether it disintegrated in fragments or was completely destroyed, I don''t know..." He concluded the first part of his hypothesis. "..." Fayette bit her lips tightly as waves of heat spread through her body. "And what does the president of the United States has to do with any of that?" She asked with a husky voice. "Simple, the blue party tend to be more scheming and sick than the red party, the two of them are dirty to the core but in different ways, even if the president is a descendant of Donald Collins, that alone is not enough, the Red Party have deep connections with Russia and China... for a degradation economy such as theirs, the most convenient thing to do is to repeat history... the same things they have done in the past... war." "..." "In order to go to war with total security that the other party wasn''t going to obliterate them, they need to get rid of the nuclear deterrent, and what better opportunity than this one? if it''s the blue party, they would keep some bombs hidden just in case, but the Red Party would get rid of all of them, create intricate treaties to maintain the status quo and go to war in order to recover their decaying economy with the production of armament, am I correct or not, Faye?~" "..." She can''t say anything, she''s just astounded. "Even then, I''m sure some of those bastards kept one bomb or two just in case... but the treaty said some bullshit like this ''we promise to utilise the totality of our nuclear stock to get rid of this disaster so you should follow our example and do so too... and if you don''t... then let the asteroid end this planet'' something like that... with a promise like that and the information of who actually held the bombs in their hands, they had more than enough to coerce the governments of the world to do what they wanted, I can even go farther... after the asteroid was finished, either China invaded Taiwan and Hongkong or Russia invaded Ukraine... Israel probably took over Gaza and the entire Palestine... so on and so forth, war broke loose and look! magic... the economies of the world restored at the cost of millions of deaths... the richer became richer, the poor ceased to exist or were used as a bargain, slaves... nothing changed." By the end of his ''hypothesis'', he clenched his hands so tightly as his hand itched, it itched horribly... but then realised he was deforming Fayette''s beautiful hair and stopped. "Honey..." The beauty could only look aggrieved when seeing him like this. "It''s like that, right? after so much killing, taking care of all those bastard, killing mafia bosses, erasing political parties, coercing them to follow the rules... in the end, nothing changed, right?" He had sacrificed his team, his Rose, for a ridiculous ambition... the moment he died, everything went back to how it was, even erasing the roots was not enough. Fayette sighed and raised up, pushing him against the floor as she started to stroke his sleeping friend. "Honey, it doesn''t matter..." She tried to comfort him. "Answer me, it didn''t change, right?" His silver eyes looked at her heterochromatic ones with anger. "It doesn''t matter Vale... we''re in Hell now..." She lay down and gave it a few licks. "Whatever happens in the Earth, it is not our concern anymore... you answered correctly, relax... let me give you a reward, okay?~ just forget all that, it''s meaningless, we''re here now, you and me..." She had never seen him this angry. Moving her hair aside, she started to work him out... and it worked, with the pleasure, the anger disappeared. She could somehow understand where the anger is coming from, Fayette didn''t expect their conversation to come this way, but it''s the truth, he had given his life away in order to make a change, but... nothing had changed... during his life, things had indeed worked as everyone feared the bringer of euthanasia... but after his public execution, it was as if the world got rid of its shackles... for hundred years evil just restored. If tomorrow someone told her that after her death, France had been destroyed... she''d be pissed too. "We have been here, too long... ugh... V-Vera..." He held her bobbing head and stuttered. "..." But Fayette was too focused to pay attention to Vera, right now, she just wants to satisfy her man. ** ** "We have to prepare, I know you want to sleep Faye, but we have to investigate this place... what''s available, what we can buy, so on and so forth... our money is limited and we might be forced to leave eventually if we don''t find a mechanism to increase our wealth." He stood up and wore his bathrobe. "And what are we going to wear?" Vera stood up as well, naked... together with Fayette as the latter yawned... she walked funnily and took the Bathrobe and wore it too. "Of course, we''re going to wear this, I''m not using those disgusting rags again..." She presented herself in front of Valentine, tying her and Vera''s brown hair on a ponytail as the latter wore it too. "How do we look?" Vera asked confidently as the two ladies presented themselves in front of him. "..." He looked at them with an inquisitive gaze, their necklines, cleavage... legs... their slightly wet skin. They''re exquisite... "Too lewd, you''re showing too much skin, we have to get another pair." He deduced much to their outrage. "Huh!?" Chapter 29 - Bargain Rather Than Taxes The moment had arrived, it was time to leave and investigate the intricates that lay upon this city. But first, there was a problem to solve, attention. ... A naked Valentine presented himself in front of the Demon behind the counter. "..." "..." Awkwardness. "I don''t swing that way, disgusting pig... if you want that service, by all means, go three stores down the road! and better if you don''t come back!" The demon yelled with disgust, pointing at the exit. "Shut up! I came because I want three new bathrobes, we broke the other three..." Valentine clenched his fist, restraining himself from giving this demon a new makeup. "Hmph! Do you think I''m stupid? it''s not easy to break those bathrobes... if you want three of them, you will have to buy them! a hundred coins for a set of three." The demon presented his purple hand with long black nails, awaiting the coins. "..." This world is so disgraceful, that valentine was already expecting to get scammed... he opened his palm that had some coins in it. "Fifteen each?" He dared to bargain! "Eighty... I can''t lower it down more than that, stop wasting my time, I have a lot of customers." The demon growled in disdain, desperately hoping a customer would come just so he doesn''t have to speak with this bastard, preferably a wealthy demoness of the lust circle if possible. ''What I would give to have one night with you, Duchess Lilith...'' That''s the dream of all demons, a dream that he''s fated to not accomplish as the host of some rundown inn ... The only thing Valentine did was to give a round gaze to the clearly empty luxurious hallway, there isn''t even a fucking cactus here. "Yes, sure... douchebag..." He paid the money and got the bathrobes, not wanting to waste a single drop of saliva with this cunt, immediately wearing one and taking the other two. ... Vera and Fayette wore the first layer of bathrobes and placed their knives on the compartment, then took another one and placed it on top. At least now they didn''t look as voluptuous, but their faces were still that of fairies... nothing could be done there... He was about to lead them to leave when Fayette held her hips in place and pouted. "What''s wrong?" "Why aren''t you wearing two of them too!?" "Huh? I''m a man... no one is going to pay attention..." "Yes?! And what about that demoness from before!? Wear two of them, Vale, no, three!" Vera interjected and threw him the first bathrobe that he had. The man had to reluctantly wear it, not liking it much since it decreased his mobility. After taking all the money they had and a couple of cores, they departed the hotel. ** ** The trio found themselves in the middle of the road where there were hundreds of demons. Aside from a few glances here and there, no one regarded them, but Fayette could feel it, they''re definitely being stared at, but with... fear? "I think it works... for some reason, let''s not waste time, I''m hungry!" She pulled both Valentine and Vera as they started to make their way down. "Where should we go? the same place from before?" Vera inquired, the only place they ''knew'' is the place where the vagrant took them before. "No, let''s try and see if there is anything else, this city is massive, there must be something better." He concluded, his only interest is to reach a store where they can get weapons. As they walked and giggled down the road, many gazes set on them, with different reactions. Valentine knew they were likely attracting reaction, but there is nothing that can be done. Why are they? Simple... There are hundreds of demons here, thousands even... only on this section of the road, walking in a way that depicted this more as a tourist city than an actual metropolis. In here, there are 95% demons and 5% humans... and without a single doubt, all of them are going through precarious needs. They''re either slaves, vagrants that steal from stores and are eventually ''caught'' or travellers that look like they come from far away as their armours and clothes are simply depleted, rusted and pitiful. You could even say they''re the only humans in here that have a clean face... Basically, just by being normal, they''re already attracting a lot of attention, but what could he do? force the girls to get themselves dirty again? he didn''t want to do that. Before, in the forest... they were forced to, but here... the three of them would work tooth and nail, assassinate if needed, to live a proper life, and else... then might as well just get their crystals destroyed. He''d rather kill Fayette and Vera than see them being some demon''s pets. And without a doubt, Vera and Fayette think the same. ... As they moved through the streets, they saw several kinds of chops, the city resembled either Paris or London of his times, shops everywhere, people everywhere, in this case, demons... he came to understand that this place is really for demons to live. Humans weren''t the only ones that stole. Demons did too... but unsurprisingly, when a human stole he was easier to capture and immediately taken who knows where. There were nightclubs, whorehouses... restaurants, even stylists for demonesses, it''s ridiculous... everything costs amethyst coins, even the most basic of commodities... Whenever they saw a Demon Soldier, the three of them would try to look small and apparently aside from some glances, the demon soldiers didn''t try to look trouble with them. ... "There are no ''decent'' human restaurants in here Vale, let''s just go to the shop from before..." Fayette pulled his arm, by now he had Vera hook to his left with a gaze full of either disgust or curiosity, depending on the shop they had in the front, while Fayette was getting increasingly hungrier. The restaurants they found... 70% of them sold human flesh... 20% of them sold the flesh of other animals that looked gruesome, and the last part sold the flesh of animals that didn''t look gruesome, but they were mutated... mutated wolf, mutated this and that... Eventually, they realised they weren''t going to find ''pasta a la bolognese'' or ''oven cooked steak'' anywhere here. ** ** They passed through the shop, on the way here they heard some moans coming from a corner. !!! The alleyway that''s right beside the shop where they had been. It''s obvious what the meaning of those moans is, the problem is, there are grunts too, but those grunts don''t sound like ''pleasurable'' grunts... "Ignore it..." Fayette exclaimed and took the two of them inside the shop. There, the girl that attended them before was nowhere to be seen, they were attended by some other pretty red skinned demoness, the colours made the trio wonder what exactly does it mean for a demon to have green, blue, red skins... but there were so many and so many varieties, that they didn''t hold the thought further. Eventually, they all asked for the same pastry, a ''mutated wolf'' pastry that was made with some kind of weird flour that they didn''t bother asking what it is... none of the three knows how to cook nor do they pretend to cook. "We have to stay away from the alleyways." Vera chewed on hers and took a sip from her juice. ''Mongre Juice''... whatever the heck that is. They asked the demoness that attended them what she recommended and the bitch obviously recommended the most expensive drink in the menu, yes... this time they weren''t fooled and asked for the menu. They thought they were smart, but no... they were swindled once again, the menu doesn''t have prices included, just names and pictures. ''Fuck this shit...'' the three thought almost in unison. No wonder there aren''t any ''clean'' humans here... if you''re going to be swindled whatever small penny you got at every corner... in whatever shop you go to. This is a measly restaurant and if you lower your guard, they stick it up your arse. ... "Yes, I heard the wails coming out of there... and the moans... this is a truly peculiar city. It''s as if the darkness starts through the alleyways and the rest is just a facade." Fayette said and ate her pastry, but she did so in a way that made her companions deadpan. "..." (Valentine, Vera) "What? why are you looking at me like that?" She lifted up her eyebrows and stopped her hand. "Why the hell are you eating a pastry with folks and knife?" Vera held back from laughing out loud as she shamelessly held the pastry with her bare hands. Meanwhile, Valentine snickered and copied her actions, it had been so long since he ''ate'' the same way Fayette did. "Hmph! I''m not an animal like you two! I''m a noble commander from the French army!" "Yeah yeah... you weren''t so noble last night." Those were Valentine''s last words before he got a mutated wolf pastry straight to his face. !!! "Y-YOU! SAY THAT AGAIN! I''M GOING TO SLAUGHTER YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY!" The tyrant Fayette Blanchet came back to life. "What are you? a young master?~" He cleaned his face and directly started to eat Fayette''s pastry, she sneakily tried to steal his but he refused. "You threw yours, so, no food for you..." *PFT!* Vera couldn''t hold herself back, she already imagined they did ''that'' anyway if just by how they have behaved today, they looked more like a married couple now than they did before. Chapter 30 - No Rest For The Wicked I The happy trio left the pastry shop after filling themselves up. They kept walking and investigating, unaware of the gazes that were fixed onto them. "What should we do next?" Vera held Valentine''s arm on one side while Fayette licked what seemed to be the equivalent of a lollypop. Investigating their surroundings, she spotted something with her genetically enhanced eyes. A demon, far away, behind the stool of a shop, glancing at them. Her eyes shone and immediately fixed on it as hard as she could, it could be anyone else, there are hundreds of demons here... but the moment she regarded him, the cloaked demon left his place. ... She kept trying to search for him harder but, a sudden pain came into her eyes! "UGH!" !!! Fayette''s sudden grunt made the trio stop as Valentine had been chatting with Vera. "Faye!?" That grunt was enough for Valentine to get on guard and take out a knife! "Calm down... h-honey it''s just... my eyes..." The blonde moved her hand around her eyes, they pained. When she lifted her gaze up, Valentine noticed some tears of blood coming out of her eyes. "Are you okay, Faye?" He immediately tried to clean them up with his own bathrobe and even Vera looked worried now. "I... don''t know... this has never happened before... I was just using my eyes... V-Vale I think we''re being followed." She said those words after her eyes had been completely cleaned. "..." Those words immediately flared all of Valentine''s instincts as Vera also stood up on guard, prepared to draw her knife. "Let''s go back to the Hotel." She said, perhaps they had exposed themselves too much already... they had gotten plenty of information so it would be better to go back now. But destiny didn''t have that in store for them. When they were mumbling, a big demon with wings and armour walked by, his gaze fixed in Fayette! He stared at her up and down as if analysing a diamond. Valentine immediately got in between and the demon lifted his eyebrows in amusement. ''Demon Soldier¡­'' the reaper mumbled, just with this size, he''s definitely not a common demon. "How amusing... do you think you can protect that woman if I try, human? You''ve got everyone fooled but¡­ clearly, you''re new here~" The demon''s husky voice resounded and the gossiping started. *** "Oh, he''s so dead!" "Challenging Lord Bellcroft, no no¡­ even if you''re a protector..." *** The demons gossiped with amusements while the scarce humans there only gave them a pitiful gaze like saying, God Bless ''ya. Quite ironic for a demon to say that, ain''t it? "We don''t want trouble¡­" That''s all he could say as the girls also got on guard, he messed up and only now did he realise. It had been such a simple action, but that''s all they needed. No human that has been here for long would threaten a Demon Soldier or even dare stand in front of it. He recalled those human''s reactions when they saw Lucretia go into the shop. They made themselves small, not big. This simple act of giving them away as newcomers¡­ newcomers that completed the forest in less than ten years and therefore, humans with strong souls. ''Shit!'' Anger couldn''t help but seep through his eyes. What a stupid mistake! "You don''t want trouble human? But you already have trouble¡­ My name is Bellcroft and I''m guard of this city." The demon approached and towered over Valentine. He was at least three feet taller¡­ Fayette and Vera wanted to intervene but simply couldn''t¡­ this demon, he is so¡­ Intimidating. "This city''s Marques decreed it anti-violence¡­ But as a guard, I CAN use violence to apprehend those I deem criminals!" The Demon''s smile became wicked! Faster than a phantom, the guard extended his fist forth! !!! ''Fast!'' With that impressively great size, the demon moved as nimble as a phantom! But if this demon is some breed of a phantom, Valentine is nothing short of a ghost! *FIIUUSH!!* Under the stunned gazes of everyone including his women, Valentine evaded the man''s fist! *BOOMM!* The intimidating fist impacted the ground with a bang and created a big mark on the floor! Fayette retreated pulling Vera, she had an exasperated sight on her face. ''That fist! It can kill anyone easily!'' Valentine wasn''t concerned by this, like a craftsman he grabbed the demon''s arm, he tried to swing it but Valentine propelled himself with his arm amidst the swing and landed on the demon''s shoulder! ¡­ Silence. ¡­ "I''m telling you, I don''t want trouble." The knife sunk in the Demon''s neck and the whole world stopped. Valentine grit his teeth, they exposed themselves too much, but what else could he do? If he didn''t show some leverage, they''d be stepped on. He had seen this demon''s eyes when he regarded Fayette as if she''s his object. He''d slice the throat of anyone that dares to look at her with those eyes and ACT on it. ... Everyone looked at the occurrence with astonishment and even the demon was left rooted in place! "Y-You¡­" He said, feeling the sharp knife against his skin, not threatening at all but still¡­ this human managed to outpace him even if just for a brief moment! "You''re not normal¡­ you''re indeed an undercover protector... how about this, I''ll let you go for now, with one condition." Valentine remained silent not taking the knife down. "Five hours¡­ The battle to the death in the coliseum, if you win I''ll let you go, if I win¡­ I''ll have your soul!" "Valentine, don''t!" Fayette, hearing this wanted to make him decline but¡­ "Deal." Valentine retracted his knife and fell from the Demon''s shoulders. "I hope you won''t chicken out, if you don''t know the address, ask for the location of the Westburn Trial Ground¡­" Bellcroft huffed with amusement, staring at the three of them as if they were treasures rather than humans¡­ then walked away with heavy steps. "V-Vale are you sure about this? That demon is too strong and also fast! How is he even that fast with such a big body!?" Fayette approached first and took his hand. ''And that''s supposed to be just a guard!?'' "I think we should just sort out our stuff and leave the city, you don''t need to fight him, Vale!" Vera grasped his other hand tightly, not liking the idea of her crush fighting that monster. She didn''t even think her body would remain after a single fist! "We can''t leave this city until we get all the information we can about the netherworld, I have the impression¡­ life won''t be as kind once we leave." Valentine spent a few minutes reassuring them as they walked. In the end, a shaking Fayette could do nothing but relent... the trouble is already there. "If you''re going to fight then you can''t do it in a bathrobe¡­ We have to get some equipment." Vera stared at the humans and demons, humans always wore equipment, damaged and battered while Demons were almost always clean and pristine. It was enough to tell the difference in status. "We have to get clothes, armour and guns... if they have guns... anything to make the odds greater!" Vera paid attention to the shops, looking for any place that could sell weapons, there weren''t many... obviously, weapons are not a commodity in here. She didn''t want him to fight. "Vale please reconsider... we can still leave! he''s not an opponent we can just fight with knives! he destroyed the ground with a single fist!" Fayette seemed to have had enough of bravery, she wasn''t about being brave, she''s about survival. And right now she felt as if her beloved was just placed on death row! Valentine exhaled a deep breath as the three stopped with demons walking back and forth by the sides, almost blurry. "Trust me, Faye... I can do it... this is our chance, that demon called me a ''undercover protector''... I don''t know what that is, but that''s likely the reason why he proposed this ''duel''... he can''t hurt me directly if I''m this ''undercover protector''... this can be the only chance we have to learn more about this place before leaving... if we leave this city like this... we won''t make it, we don''t have the knowledge, weapons, clothes... nothing... I won''t place the two of you in those circumstances, got it?!" He shook her shoulders violently as if trying to make it go into her head. "..." She could only bite her lips and accept it. Vera also didn''t have words to say, he''s right. He took the two of them and gave them a kiss on the forehead. "Let''s go... we don''t have much time. I''m going to be okay, I won''t leave the two of you by yourselves here, but you have to trust me and cover my back, alright?" "Okay... I trust you, Vale." Fayette managed to pull out a smile, he has done way more ridiculous things. Perhaps beating this monster is not that much for him as she''s making it look. Chapter 31 - No Rest For The Wicked II They walked through the city, realising how big it actually was, some demon told them a direction for a weapon shop which turned out to be a desolate alleyway, no way they were going to step in there. They kept walking for about five hours, looking at shops of all kinds, mostly entertainment¡­ entertainment for demons, this seemed to be some kind of district that wasn''t as ''sweet'' as the one they had been before. The atrocities happening inside they didn''t want to even imagine. Eventually, they didn''t reach a weapon shop but instead an exchange shop. "Should we change some more money?" Fayette stared at the shop, maybe the weapons would be more expensive than what they had in their pockets? Or bathrobes¡­ "We don''t need to, but I want to test something." They entered the shop. Inside there was a Demon waiting at the counter and there were all kinds of artefacts that looked magical and exotic. Vera and Fayette stared at all of them with curiousness, there were exotic stones and diamonds. "What can I do for you, Honourable Ant~?" The Demon on the other side of the counter a green-skinned demon with two big horns, flashed a smile, just from his looks alone, Valentine could tell he''s a Demon Soldier. Ignoring the demon''s comment he took out a beast core. "I want to exchange this stone." He said nonchalantly, taking out the stone he got from a massive wolf in that forest. The demon took it and inspected it with interest, "Hmmm¡­ Onyx Grade Beast Soul¡­ Not very valuable¡­ how much do you want for it?~" ''So you won''t tell me a price straight away, bastard... everyone in this place is fucking sick...'' they can learn so much from someone, just by knowing the price estimations they give to anything... If you give a price too low or too big, that can determine your experience and knowledge. Thankfully, he had some experience. The Demon spoke with wickedness and Valentine couldn''t help but roll his eyes, ''Is there any demon in this world that''s not a crook?'' They wouldn''t be demons¡­ He received 50.000 from Lucretia, so¡­ "How about 70.000 Amethyst Coins?" He began his experiment. He wanted to see how much this demon would try to rip him off for something he already knew the price of. ¡­ "So cheap? Thanks for the bargain ant, deal~" The Blue Skinned smiled like he just stole the candy from a little kid, presented a pouch of coins and took the stone, no return! Eh¡­? ... LUCRETIA¡­ YOU DIRTY BITCH!! ''FAIR PRICE'' YOU SAID!? I TRUSTED YOU! Is anything she said even real!? Clearly, she doesn''t lack money, what''s the need to scam some poor bastards!? ¡­ For several minutes, Valentine could do nothing but look like a stupid idiot, the girls ignored this and proved several collars and diamonds on themselves happily. "Can I do anything else for you?" The green-skinned demon wished he could get many more of those stones at such a price while analysing the person in front of him deeper. As he had been requested to. ** Within the centre of Mahogany Devilish City, there was a gigantic castle. The castle where the lord of this city lived, a place where not even demons could casually enter. Unlike most mansions of this world''s royal demons, this one was rather lacklustre. No burning humans wailing their lungs out, no torture devices that resembled the inquisition, filled with blood and victims, no females tied to tables like pigs ready to be slaughtered... no suffering. This was just a simple office filled with gold and a gigantic frame of a beautiful painted woman sitting right in front of the golden desk, on top of the chimney. *THUD* The golden door opened and in came a purple-skinned demon, a ''demon soldier''. He regarded the rather handsome demon in front of him, a dark-skinned demon with regal clothes and two long horns, he wrote something on a paper with red ink, lifting his hand, he nimbly indicated the demon to speak what he needed or wanted. "Marques Warcroft, we have news... it seems like a protector has arrived in the city." The demon shivered slightly at the mention of a ''protector''. *CLICK* "..." Marques Warcroft stopped his movements. "Are you sure of this?" "... No, my marques... actually, they behave like protectors but we haven''t seen their badges... or their skills... but they shine like the sun amidst their streets and it seems as if they don''t hold the city without any regard." "Do you recognise them from the list?" the demon moved his gaze to the newcomer, his eyes were deep red and slit. "No, they''re not protectors from this circle... but it''s confusing, our human agents report that they can understand their words, which means... that they''re from this circle..." The man continued his report, every word he said left the man in even more bewilderemnt. "So you''re saying... that you interrupted me because of some presumptive protectors that you haven''t yet confirmed? is that it?" His words sounded calm, but his demeanour... it was as if he was about to explode! !!! "Y-Yes..." *RUMMBLE!!* "Get lost before I kill you! BASTARD!" *THUD!* That''s a wall the demon needed to close the door with a headstart, lest his head explodes there and then. ... The demon sighed and released his pen, angry that his special daily ''session'' had been interrupted. "... Sandmortelle." *WOOSHHH!!* "My Marques..." A green-skinned demon appeared in what resembled a hologram but made of green flames, his two horns shone in green light as he regarded the person to the front. The demon marques he had been serving for millenniums, even dozens of thousands of years. "Who are they?" "I don''t know... I haven''t seen them... it seems they''re not far away from my shop." "Do you think they''re protectors belonging to Sinclair?" "They would be registered... Tasha and Sanson aren''t in this city if I recall correctly, if they were, we would have known... "Any other Marques?" "They''re not registered my Marques..." "How can they so casually stroll around my city as if this is some kind of place for holiday!?" Marques Warcroft yelled and refrained himself from smashing this table into dust, not this table... "But.. It''s a place for holiday..." The demon answered nonchalantly. "NOT FOR HUMANS!" "..." He didn''t know what to say anymore. "I want you to investigate them... there are only two possibilities, they either come from the ''test'' or they''re undercover protectors... protectors that aren''t yet in my list." "... It''s impossible, there hasn''t been anyone from the test for a hundred thousand years... and back then, the city was extremely less ''safe'' than now, the reaper wouldn''t send anyone here." "... I know, which means that they''re more than likely undercover protectors, until their skills are verified, we can''t make assumptions. Investigate them and report to me. If they''re from the pro-violence faction or related to Sinclair or any of his bunch... I want you to not leave a trace, understood?" He ordered with unprecedented wickedness, he wouldn''t tolerate a single uncontrollable factor. "Understood." The green-skinned demon disappeared amidst a cluster of green flames, leaving a marques that sighed with exasperation. He forgot about all these matters, took his paper, took his ink and continued to write, his ''special'' session. ** The Green skinned demon regarded the thinking Valentine with deep eyes while he gave the two ladies to the side a sidelong gaze as they tested the jewellery. ''They''re weird... this boy... he doesn''t know the value of those cores, but those girls, their attitudes are indeed those of protectors... should I test them right here?'' Meanwhile, Valentine almost scratched his chin into oblivion. What else could he do here? His purpose of coming here was to experiment with the difference in rates of exchange between every shop, but everything just went to waste thanks to Lucretia¡­ "Are you an information broker?" This would also be of interest to him. "Oh¡­ I''m afraid my services in that regard are not available to humans~" The Demon giggled like a maniac as if he already knew the predicament he''s in! Valentine stared briefly at his two companions and leaned on the counter, approaching the devil in front of him who raised his eyebrows. "And¡­ Is there any way to make an exception?" "¡­" The Demon stared at Valentine''s silver eyes with his slitted purple shining ones and huffed some smoke out of his nostrils. ¡­ Sandmortelle immediately produced the most wicked of gazes as if he''s about to catch a bear in his trap. "Let''s see¡­ You came out from the main trial ground with flying colours¡­ Your soul is naturally quite precious, many of this city''s warlords already placed their eyes on the three of you~" "I don''t know what test you''re talking about¡­ I had mine long ago." Valentine clenched his hand¡­ Hard, but his face was expressionless. He feared this if Lucretia knew of them from the very beginning¡­ Who else knew? Thankfully, he could assume she''s the only one that is aware of his and his Fayette''s soul stage. If he gives the expression of inexperience that''s going to immediately give others the conclusion that they''re new here, and hence... their souls are valuable. That can''t be allowed to happen, so he could only carry on this lie as much as possible, if it fell on top of his shoulders eventually, so be it, he only hopes by then they will be away from this city. The situation was turning frightening by the second, living in a city with ''no-violence'' didn''t seem like much of an assurance anymore and only he seemed to be the only one aware of the implications on the big scale. He gave Fayette and Vera a furtive glance, they seemed happy¡­ But Fayette''s eyes touched his several times. She knows¡­ "You don''t know, huh? Fair enough, then¡­ Tell me your name first and we will start from there~" The Demon took out something that looked like a cube, and placed his hand above it. A pink smoke permeated from the cube and covered the demon''s hand if it could be called that, it was more than a claw¡­ "Give me your palm¡­" "What is this?" He furrowed his brows. "Is there something wrong, Vale?" Fayette but her lips and asked, moving her gaze away from a collar. "Nothing¡­ everything''s alright." He lied. ¡­ "You have never used it or seen it? It''s a lie detector¡­ I''d not be a renowned information broker if I were to hear lies from my sources~" The demon placed his arm above Valentine''s palm and his tattoo shone with a pink light. Valentine could only hope this demon is at least honest in this aspect. "What is your name?~" The Demon''s eyes shone with a smile! "Magnus-! AHHHH!!!!" !!! Valentine felt like a million volts of current gritted through his whole body! "Vale!" The two girls felt like their hearts stopped right at that moment! The two ran who Valentine who twisted in the ground in infinite pain! "STOP! STOP IT!" Fayette''s eyes were bloodshot! She draw out her knife and pointed it at the demon! The bastard simply smirked. "Lower your weapon girl, violence is prohibited here¡­" "AND WHAT?! ISN''T THAT YOU''RE DOING, BASTARD!? STOP THIS!" Valentine was suffering so much he didn''t even utter a groan, his eyes had gone white and saliva scurried out of his mouth. Vera cried and held him in her arms until finally, he stopped shaking! "Me? You should be blaming him for being a liar~ We''re doing a rightful exchange." The Demon hunched back on an antique seat and shrugged his shoulders. "S-Stop Faye¡­" Valentine stuttered, never in his life had he felt so much pain¡­ It felt like his soul got attacked directly, but his body. "Valentine, let''s leave!" She didn''t want to remain here! "I''m afraid your boyfriend here has to stay until I finish with him~" "But!-" "Faye!" Fayette stared at Valentine''s eyes, he was glaring at her! She bit her lips and retreated pulling the exasperated Vera with her. "Faye! W-We have to-!" Vera tried to intercede in this madness but all she received was Fayette''s shaking head. "H-How long¡­?" That''s the only thing could only ask. "Ten minutes, this is an invaluable item you know? This is how it''s going to be¡­ You''re going to answer me everything you want to know for the next ten minutes and in exchange, I''ll answer your questions for ten minutes¡­ What say you?~ Don''t tell me I''m not being fair." "¡­ You will answer the truth?" "Yes, I would always lie. But as a demon, I''ll never go back on a deal¡­ For the next ten minutes, you will answer my questions, and afterwards, for the next ten minutes, I''ll answer yours truthfully~" "You won''t use one of these, huh?" Valentine pointed at the cube. "No need¡­ My reputation precedes me unlike you a nasty and dirty human like you." He answered as if it''s the most natural thing in the world. As if demons are the noblest of beings... the joke. "Let''s not waste time, tell me your name." "Valentine Wagner." Nothing happened. "Good, theirs?" "Fayette Blanchet and Vera Sidorov." "What are they to you?" "¡­ My partners." He grits his teeth. If they know this, it will become a public weakness. The demon smirked. "Individually, what are they to you?~" "Bastard¡­" "Answer." "Fayette is my lover, Vera is my... friend." He sighed and Vera could only bite her lips and give him a reassuring expression, if he didn''t experience pain, it''s because that''s truly what he feels. "Oh¡­ Friendzone? Sad~" he smirked at Vera who for some reason felt like slapping the shit out of the demon! "Now¡­ What''s your soul rank!?" They came to the core of the issue and the demon didn''t shy away! ¡­ The two women glared at him and gave Valentine a concerned glance, telling someone else is¡­ Valentine, however, smirked before gulping audibly¡­ "Carbo-! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" !!! The demon growled loudly and his eyes shone more! "Foolish human, you won''t learn¡­ What''s your soul rank!?" "¡­" Valentine kept shocking, now in Fayette''s arms! The latter could only bite her lips and do nothing¡­ because she already knows what he intends to do. "ANSWER!" The Demon''s voice became more terrifying and he even spread his long wings! ¡­ ''I can¡­ do it.'' Valentine grit his teeth the pain corrupting his mind. "Car-! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" Vera''s tears ran inconsolably! "VALE JUST TELL HIM! FAYETTE! SAY SOMETHING!" "¡­" But the French beauty only caressed her dearest''s hair. The Demon''s eyes shone in anger, "So that''s the game you want to play!? FINE! WHAT IS YOUR SOUL RANK!?" His body jumped the counter and arrived in front of them! "C-CARBO-! UGHHHHH!!!" The demon pushed Fayette aside, she could do nothing if she drew her knife and attacked this demon, they''d die at the very least, be tortured and humiliated for the worse. Her waist itches¡­ Horribly! The demon took the shaking Valentine by the collar, Fayette had to stop Vera from lounging! When the demon pulled Valentine''s face, the latter was smirking! "YOU FUCKING BASTARD! DO YOU THINK YOU CAN TRICK A DEMON AND GO SCOT-FREE!? WHAT¡­ IS¡­ YOUR... SOUL RANK!?" !!! "AHHHHH!!!!" This time Valentine didn''t even have the time to answer, that ''charm'' detected his intent and it triggered twice as strong! ''CARBON! MY RANK IS CARBON, FILTHY DEMON!'' Even as he shook with unprecedented pain, inwardly, he was smirking as a white flame shone within his eyes. Dis but a scratch. Chapter 32 - Demons Abound At Every Corner The ten minutes were gone and Valentine lay on the ground, breathing heavily and struggling to keep his consciousness. Fayette caressed his cheeks with love, her heterochromatic eyes stared at his hazy ones with concern, anger but also sadness. Vera also knelt before him and caressed his chest, her tears had never stopped, she didn''t even understand why was this happening, and that frustrated her the most. ... The demon had tried the last card at his disposal, to make Valentine fall unconscious due to the pain, he had failed. In order to win his game, that had been his ''bet'' if Valentine fell unconscious, that means that for the next ten minutes, he wouldn''t ask any questions. But valentine knew this, and he used everything at his disposal to remain awake. And the clock is running. Valentine breathed heavily, totally incapable of uttering a word, his hand struggled to move caressed his beloved''s cheeks, his lips moved but he didn''t utter a word. Fayette understood. Her gaze stared at the demon in front of her with fierceness, ''I won''t ever forget your face... and when I''m strong enough, I WILL KILL YOU!'' She had to restrain herself. "I will ask you the questions on his behalf, I''m his wife and he accepts this." Her voice was as cold as a frosty hell. "Fair enough... You''re truly a fool, doing all this for nothing, do you realise that by doing this, you''re simply confirming my suspicions? Utter idiocy, who''d go this far as to conceal a bronze stage soul?~" The demon''s anger seemed to be gone like a dream, instead, an ecstasy marred his eyes when he looked at Valentine. !!! The trio twitched slightly but it was so fast that not even the demon could notice. ''He thinks Valentine is a bronze soul?!'' Not even a silver one, bronze!? How rare exactly are silver and golden souls?! She shook her head repeatedly, "I want to ask first, what is your name?" "My name is Lord Sandmortelle..." He answered simply. "What rank of demon are you?" She followed. "I am one of Mahony Devilish''s Demon Magistrates~" He smirked with pride as if with utter authenticity. !!! Valentine''s eyes shook as he recomposed, a Demon Magistrate! He didn''t expect to meet one so quickly, he thought that this demon is a Demon Soldier. "Who is Lord Bellcroft? What kind of weapons does he use? Any weakness?" The most important thing for her was anything that would give Valentine an advantage. "He''s a mere city guard... the title ''Lord'' was given to him by the weaklings, he''s no lord... He uses double axes as his weapon, as for a weakness... I''d say his speed... He''s very slow." The demon considered for a few seconds before answering. ''Are you telling me that fist was slow!?'' Fayette restrained herself from shouting in outrage. "What''s the best way to reach the nearest city, and also, what kind of city is it, is it a no-violence one?" The demon chuckled in ridicule for some reason, "The next city is Burning Wrath City, as for what kind of city... Violence is totally allowed in there, in fact, you can get paid for killing others in there, let''s say the city lord is a little skewered~ As for how to reach... for you humans, the best way would be to go through the Blood Maiden Forest, your chances of survival are low whichever method you use anyway..." "Why is this?" "Because you''re humans, and because I will get men to hunt you the moment you leave this place~ And I won''t be the only one." His wicked laughter resonated through the room! !!! "What, do you expect me to just let a bronze soul go? If the three of you are bronzes or even one is bronze and the other two onyx, that''s enough for me to risk fighting the other magistrates... moreover, I have the advantage, only I know what your soul rank is." Vera bit her lips at this, is this truly how they seek someone with a bronze soul? Why is it so special anyway!? She doesn''t feel any special, she''s not even that strong! Fayette ignored the demon''s blatant threat, there should be less than two minutes. "How many entrances are there in this city? How does the law work exactly? can a guard be interpellated for misbehaviour?" She tried to look for a way out of this, clearly that Bellcroft was a corrupt crook, they hadn''t done anything wrong, he''s using his authority as if he''s the owner of the place! "This city has dozens of entrances... The Law? There is no law in this city girl, there is a rule... No public killing, if you''re seen fighting demons or humans by any demon with charge, you will be ''collected'' and your freedom will be stripped. As for the guards, they gain that spot with merits and strength, they can do whatever they want as long as they do their job which is: erasing those that they ''think'' broke the rules, even if demons could be set to judgement, trust me, it won''t be because he took advantage of a pitiful human like you." By now he''s convinced, they''re not ''protectors''... but they have the material to be protectors, a bronze soul at the very least, that man... Valentine Wagner, it might sound paradoxical to say it from his perspective, but he''s a monster... And this woman showed a visage and determination that didn''t put her as anything less, only the other girl seemed to be kind of the weaker link of the team. ... "Where is the best place to get weapons!?" That''s the last question she had. "I can sell you excellent weapons, but after what you''ve done? I''d give you a fart even if you threw all your wealth at me." He huffed in disdain and retreated the cube. "Time is out... Get out of my shop before I turn the three of you to ashes... I''d sleep with a knife in my hand at all times if I were you" Sandmortelle waved them ''goodbye'' with courtesy, but his eyes contained nothing but killing intent! The two girls technically pulled Valentine out of the shop as the latter was still struggling to stand even when his body wasn''t injured. "What should we do now? can we even stay in this city?" Fayette asked, it''s apparent she''s upset due to his ways of handling the situation. "I feel like I''m being constantly stared at¡­" Vera looked to the sides but she couldn''t see anyone paying much heed to them as to feel this kind of intrusion. "We go and get equipment¡­ This city is the safest place we can stay at, when the moment is right we will escape without anyone noticing, we just need to research it well enough for me to formulate a plan." Valentine asserted and the women nodded in affirmation. Silence reigned in them as they walked, they finally reached a place that resembled a weapon shop, it was the place that had the most humans in it. When they entered they naturally called for attention. Several humans were talking to the demon shop owner. What surprised them the most, however, was that they couldn''t understand this human?! They couldn''t understand the language that he was speaking. ''Is that some kind of demonic language?'' But it didn''t make sense, they can understand the demon but not the human¡­ Deciding to disregard this detail, they waited and looked at the weapons nearby. "What kind of weapon do you want Faye?" Valentine inquired only to receive a glare from his lover who was still upset. "I see that they don''t have handguns in here, that''s truly the weapon I''m best at. I want a crossbow and a pair of knives." After a whole year of using two knives, she became very proficient in it. He nodded and stared at Vera. "Two knives, that''s truly the only weapon I know how to use." She too had never used a weapon before dying, being taught with them, she didn''t daydream about using a rapier or any other kind of sword. "Very well, I''m going to get two long swords." "Why?" "We need someone medium range. You can do long-range and Vera can protect close quarters, we need someone that can cover from far away and you have the best accuracy out of the three, I''d preferably use the spear but I don''t have any proficiency in it." He declared with a sigh. It was finally their turn at some point, they talked to none, no one could be trusted in this world. "What do you need?" The Demon answered with the same kind of hostility he had done towards all of the other customers be it demons or humans, he was dark orange-skinned and a lot shorter than the other demons of his rank. "I want to see your knives¡­ also, I want to test the quality of these knives compared to what you have." He took out his two knives that were from the wolves in the forest. This is the only way he can verify the quality of what he''s buying. "Do you intend to test the quality of my product against this?" The demon smith took one of his knives and nodded in approval. "You''ve killed hundreds with this, huh¡­ very well I''ll allow you to test it, but it will be 50% more expensive for each product you buy, deal? You''re doubting my craft after all." The demon spoke seriously as if totally confident. "30% and I accept." He only sighed at the crook before him, but it was worth paying more if it meant that they could assure the quality of the weapons. "Deal, this knife is crafted with the nail of a bronze core harpy in the west dark lands, it is one of my average products¡­ It will cost you 30.000 amethyst coins each." He took out a knife that seemed better crafted than the trashy bony knife that he had. He took it and felt it up, then passed it to Fayette who also tested it and nodded. He took his knife and they prepared to clash them against each other. The place seemed to stop as all the humans and demons paid attention to them. They lounged at each other and their knives clashed, leaving sparks. The impending noise of the clash was never heard, the two skillfully slashed in a way that no one would get hurt and it was as they initially expected. The ''Harpy Nail'' went through the ''Wolf Claw'' like tofu. "What do you think, Faye?" He inquired her assessment as her craft with weapons seems to be a lot greater than his, it''s as if she has a database in her head for weapons, weight and their effect on the body. "It''s way heavier than the other but way more lethal, I wouldn''t recommend it for you, but for me they''re excellent." She nodded in appreciation and passed it to Vera. Vera tested its weight and is used to the ''Wolf Claw'' she felt uncomfortable with it. Valentine noticed this. "Do you have anything that''s lighter? Anything that doesn''t sacrifice sharpness with weight?" He placed the knife back on the counter and asked. "I can show you something, but it will be more expensive, more than you can afford." The demon smith walked back to his storage, saving for himself the comment about their skills. ''They''re skilled and their looks¡­ perhaps they''re protectors, I have never heard of them.'' ¡­ Shortly after he came back with a dagger that had a long size and a very frightening appearance, it was like the head of a silver hawk with red eyes and the blade was black with red runes. The trio couldn''t help but be amazed at this dagger''s design. But Valentine saw it and it didn''t look light at all. "This dagger, we found it in the treachery circle several millenniums ago, we don''t know who it belonged to¡­ test it, as for the cost¡­ we will see after you test it." He smirked and said. Valentine wanted to give it to Vera straight away, but something wasn''t right with the demon''s look, so he took it himself. The knife was beautiful and big, almost looking like a short sword and so light that it seemed surreal comparing it to the size. He felt nothing wrong with it but still had doubts. "Here, test it." He gave it to Vera as he saw everything was okay with it. Vera took it and her eyes opened widely, it was so light! It''s even lighter than the Wolf Claw she used before. She swung it back and forth. "I''ll pay you the thirty thousand for this knife straight away." Valentine said and paid the Demon for the ''Harpy Nail''. "Faye, test it against this." He gave Fayette the ''Harpy Nail'' and she nodded, understanding his intent. "Oh¡­ clever boy, but it''s a waste of money¡­ I should have sold it more expensive to you." The man sighed. The clash was done more restrained this time as Vera isn''t that skilled yet. Her knife cut through the ''Harpy Nail'' like tofu instead! That''s just ridiculous, how can that eagle knife cut through the ''Harpy Nail'' when the latter is at least five times heavier? "It''s very nice!" Vera exclaimed in excitement eager to test it against some monsters against all odds. "How much is it?" It must be very expensive if such a good product hadn''t been taken until now. The demon smith stared at him deeply, his gaze switching between the dagger and the girl who held it happily as if it was a toy. "It will be 150.000 amethyst coins." He said casually and Valentine furrowed his brows. He gave Fayette a brief stare and she shrugged her shoulders nodding afterwards. "Wait, Valentine isn''t it a little too expensive?" Vera who heard the price felt a little apprehension, that''s more than half of what they already possess! "Don''t worry, we will take it." He acknowledged, trying to reassure Vera and gave the happy demon his coins. "No returns accepted boy~" He smirked. ¡­ "Vera¡­ I want you to use only your knife, use this only when I tell you." He whispered to Vera who nodded in dejection, she wanted to use it straight away. "Faye, I will go and exchange more money, we will easily spend most of it here. Ask him for everything we need." He took the bag with stones and knives and Fayette nodded in approval, she''s aware of everything they need, like armour, bags for carrying stuff, clothes etc... etc... Wives are detailed like that.... and Fayette is no exception. Chapter 33 - Life Or Death It took him half an hour to find somewhere else to exchange the beast cores, he managed to exchange of them ten in a range between 70.000 and 90.000. He also sold all the carbon human souls he had as they were practically useless. In the end he hauled more than a million two hundred coins, he wasn''t given coins however, he was given a card with a number... quite practical. Leaving himself only with eight more cores that they planted not to spend until they somehow reached another safe place aside from this city. During this whole endeavour he had been thinking about that knife. It''s expensive¡­but not expensive enough to justify the quality and also, no one had bought it for thousands of years¡­ He needed to test it more before giving it to Vera. When he returned there was a bunch of stuff on the counter and several angry customers. "I got everything, Vale." Fayette rejoiced when she saw him come back with the money, the customers had been complaining their delay. "Fuck them¡­" Valentine rolled his eyes, "How much for everything?" He trusted Fayette knew all the things they needed. "It will be 778.000 Amethyst coins in total." Fayette said with a ''smile''. "I thought we accorded 800.000 amethyst coins, little girl." The man frowned. "Oh come on, you know we''re doing you a favour, no the other way around, we weren''t born yesterday." She leaned forward and shamelessly bargained, it''s ridiculous that a month in a renowned hotel cost them little more than a thousand, they''re spending more than half a million in equipment. Something is wrong with this world''s demand and costs. Clearly, weaponry is the most lucrative business around. "Hmph, with our age difference, you might as well have¡­ 790.000." "785.000?" "Don''t test your luck." "Okay¡­ 790.000" she sighed and Vera giggled at the exchange. Fayette bought six knives that were of better quality than the ''Harpy Nail'', six armour plaits for legs according to him, they were done with ''Mithril'' one of the most expensive comercial materials around. She also got three chest plates. One shoulder plate for Vera and a glove for him. Clearly she intended to cover their crystals, the most critical part of their bodies. It doesn''t even matter if they lose a limb as long as they don''t lose the crystal. She got a bow and several arrows for herself, there weren''t crossbows or guns... something odd, but the demon said that ''guns'' weren''t for sale in the entire circle... they were illegal, any kind of automatic or semi-automatic shooting device is. She got three bags for carrying, they were made with leather that belonged to mutated alligators coming from the ''cursed muddy west''. This is definitely the worst part when it comes to being in a place you never were before, you can''t recognise shit. And three leather belts to hold their knives and other stuff, she didn''t get places for their feet as it would just go in their way as it''s too heavy and it would reduce mobility. With this massive purchase, the demon was convinced that they''re ''protectors'' a human can''t possibly have that much money, this is perhaps the biggest purchase a customer has done to him in a long time, as for a human customer? never... ** ** "That old demon had better equipment, but it was simply too expensive, sorry¡­ The swords costed 300.000 minimum" Fayette explained, had they gotten the two swords he wanted they would have gone bankrupt. "Don''t worry, what you got is good enough. Why didn''t you get a plate for your waist?" He asked with concern, her crystal is in her waist. "I would have needed to get a full plate and that''s too heavy for me, moreover, I got the belt, it should protect me well enough." She reassured him with a smile but then pouted when she recalled that she was still supposed to be upset with him. She''s supposed to, but she isn''t. "I got these knives for 100.000 each, comparing them to the ''Harpy Nail'' they''re still way better¡­ But they''re not better than that runic thing¡­ You should have noticed." She whispered as they walked and Vera fiddled and inspected her knife if that macabre thing could still be called that. "I''ll test it today in the duel, if there is nothing wrong with it, I''ll allow her to use it." The two reached an agreement on that. When they reached a particular shop, a clothing shop Vera entered with excitement but Fayette stopped Valentine. "¡­?" "Are you going to be alright?" Her concern was apparent. "That demon is strong and also¡­" She bit her lips and embraced him. "Vale, even if you manage to win, we''re just going to be hunted a lot harsher than before, they''re going to put a tight lock on us." She whispered, afraid that someone was even listening, she couldn''t stop feeling like someone was staring at them! But moving her gaze back and fro between the walking pedestrians¡­ none. "Let''s just leave this city, it''s not our first time running¡­" Maybe she just didn''t want to see him get massacred on stage. That demon is not like the previous creatures they have met. Valentine sighed and turned around meeting her gaze, he grasped her delicate chin and kissed her. ¡­ The world seemed to stop as they delivered each other a few pecks. "Don''t worry, I won''t let us meet a dead end, besides¡­ escaping this city now, might not be as easy as you expect." He grasped her slender hand and locked their fingers, his gaze moving up and fro. She nodded but still didn''t let him go, "I know, you love me to much to let this end so quickly, right?~" "Yes." "If you love me that much then¡­ please, don''t hide things from me¡­ If there is something I''m too dumb to comprehend, tell me¡­ we are a team and I don''t always know what you''re thinking." Her gaze contained sternness but also love. As much as she hated to admit it, his mind is in another level compared to hers, she realised this with their little game in the bathroom before, although she can sometimes keep up and try to match his, this is not always the case. The best part of a team is to be able to communicate with words, to be in the same frequency in case anything happens that communication is not available, but it''s too difficult to keep up with someone like Valentine. A warm feeling spread through his heart and a smile couldn''t help but plaster his face. He felt like he could easily slaughter any demon. "You would never be dumb, I just don''t want to worry you¡­ but I promise. Just bear in mind, we''re fighting millions of years old demons¡­ we have to use every single brain cell we have." He led her inside the clothing shop and she nodded in understanding. "Never let your guard down, and be careful of every word you say and every action you take." After a last kiss in her cheek, the couple entered the shop. *** When Fayette entered the shop, she grasped her beloved''s hand tightly. Mysteries ran all over her mind, wondering what should be done, how could they get away from this situation? The source of her concern? This city is not as safeguard as they initially believed. One day they lived a dream and ate pastries, that same day a few hours later, a demon at least ten times stronger is going to fight Valentine... and he might perish today. Eyes stare at them from everywhere, a guard apparently attacked them for no reason whatsoever, and they could be said to be lucky that he gave Valentine a challenge due to his strength, gaining them time to think. The city is no violence, but what if a guard isn''t watching? Can someone just sneak in their room and slaughter them? How could she be calm? In front of her were myriad dresses that she would unashamedly test on herself were circumstances different. She could only stare at the ignorant Vera with envy, but she would make sure to put her in place tonight, this girl is acting too carefree! ''Looks like I didn''t discipline you enough!'' She took Valentine''s hand and moved to the male section, as funny as it was to wear bathrobes in the street, she just had enough. "I''ll get you some clothes Vale." She said softly staring all around. "I can get them myself?" He uttered with a tilted head. "Be obedient¡­" She looked at him sternly and took a dark blue shirt that seemed from the 2000s. "You''re not my mother¡­" He said with some annoyance and melancholy. "Indeed, I''m worse, I''m your wife~" "When did we get married?" He rolled his eyes, crossed his arms and asked with a smirk, like a fool that thinks he''s infallible beneath the skies. It didn''t last long¡­ He got the ''look'' and the ''floor tapping''. "Yesterday." "I understand dear no need to get upset!" That''s all he could say before obediently testing the shirt. *** Vera phased through the shop stands like a ghost, seeing all kind of exotic dresses. The demonesses stared at her as if she was some crazy monkey. ''These are so pretty!'' She took a one piece white dress and wore it, surprised on how pretty she looked in it. It rested tightly against her body, she didn''t wear a bra so two small protrusions could be seen pressing against the dress from the inside. She blushed. ''Will he think I look beautiful?'' Her mind wasn''t concerned at all about the occurrences today, for her Valentine and Fayette were like unfathomable existences, there was little they couldn''t do. Even after receiving such a torture he could still valiantly stand up to face that duel. She felt like giving him a reward. But she couldn''t¡­ ''But him watching me in this dress¡­ It surely should make him feel better.'' She thought. ''But he already has Fayette to look at, you''re just a plus¡­'' Another voice said in her head. ¡­ ''Indeed, but still, I want him to look at me.'' She left the dresser and walked up to where they were, Fayette who happily took some clothes for him to dress on, the two seemed genuinely happy. "¡­" ''I still¡­ Want him to see me.'' ¡­ "Valentine, Faye!" She called them happily and they turned to regard her. The two were left truly awestruck, and she felt overjoyed. "How do I look?~" "You look stunning." Valentine said honestly, regarding her up and down. "Is that so?~ I''m glad." She then turned to Fayette, awaiting her praise. Fayette sighed but showed a brief smile shortly afterwards. "You''re gorgeous, but¡­" Her countenance fell. "We''re in hell not in a picnic, I''ll help you get something that won''t get in your way when you fight." "I see¡­" She smiled dejectedly. Indeed, they''re in hell not in a picnic. *** They left that shop shortly afterwards. Valentine had a dark blue shirt, pants and flexible shoes. He looked rather casual, above those he had his mithril plates, his belt and two Horntails. Fayette wore clothes very similar to his but purple instead of blue. According to her those were the least invasive clothes there were. She wore her plates on her legs, her belt and chest piece and her two ''Horntail'' daggers. Vera wore something similar but she adamantly refused to wear pants, so she wore a very short skirt but with leggings underneath that served more like stockings than anything else. She also wore her plates, but unlike them, she had three daggers hanging from her belt, one of them looking rather intimidating. They also took two such changes of clothes, Valentine said they would be needed. The two girls didn''t ask why. "Where to now?" Vera asked next, holding her dagger, she truly liked this dagger. They still had several hours until the duel with Bellcroft. "We will ask for the locations of the ''Burning Soul Trial Ground'' and also the closest entrances to this city." He said and the two caught onto something straight away, nodding. *** In a relatively big room full of luxury but also, scalding flames, a big demon rested on a chair, his armour shone through the darkroom. Howls of pain and desolation filled the room. This demon stared at the burning flames in front of him, incessantly. "They''re being spied on, Bellcroft, someone else might reach them first." A voice resonated in the room. "You don''t need to worry Sir, I''ll make sure to throughly test this human¡­ No one has the gals to reach him in this city¡­ And those that have the balls. Don''t know about his peculiarities just yet." Bellcroft huffed a breath of smoke in front of this demon. "Make sure that bastard Warcroft doesn''t come to know of this. I don''t want that fellow involved when we''re finally so close, Sandmortelle made contact with them and he doesn''t seem to be very happy. " The voice continued with some concern. "He might be able to help us pull Lord Sandmortelle to our side¡­" "He''s too weak!" The voice yelled turning even more eerie. "He managed to overpower me just slightly, if he''s promising we could use him as a Scapegoat." "I''m telling you, if he''s too weak, how can we use him as a scapegoat?! He''s just a human!" "If he turns out to be a Bronze Soul¡­ We might be able to use him, Lord Gleipnir." Bellcroft retorted, his gaze directly at the burning human inside his chimney. "¡­" "I have ears in all places, if they try to escape, it will be easier for us." "Don''t fail me." The Demon Magistrate, Lord Gleipnir, retreated. "I would never". Chapter 34 - The Duel After walking for too long they managed to get to the location of one of the main gates aside from the one they initially appeared in. If they wanted to reach the Coliseum in time, they had to stop sightseeing. "It''s time, give me your knife Vera, I''ll test it." Valentine said as they walked and Vera passed him her knife. When they reached the Coliseum, they were surprised to see that there were a few demons present, not the crowd that they were expecting, however¡­ None of the demons looked like a pushover. Ten of them. ''They look like demon soldiers.'' He mumbled to himself. "I think they filtered the people from coming here, we can assume they''re the representatives of the ''factions'' or maybe they''re just Bellcroft''s acquaintances in here." Fayette whispered as they made their way inside. Vera tried to keep herself as close to the two as possible. All of those demons looking at them from the stands. She still couldn''t believe they are in Hell, everything is so surreal. *** "You have to pay attention to your surroundings, Vera, we are not on holiday, in fact, the situation couldn''t be any worse." While they were walking towards the city''s gate Fayette embraced Vera''s waist, making the two of them very close together. "I¡­" Vera didn''t know what to say. "I''ll train you thoroughly from now on, right now we''re being hunted, haven''t you felt like someone''s watching you at all times?" "¡­ Indeed" but she never managed to catch that gaze. "That''s why get yourself together, pretend you haven''t noticed keep the act of a naive girl and never let your guard down, be ready to draw that knife at all times." Fayette finished her small rant. Vera could only give Valentine an apologetic gaze to notice that he was indeed acting ''carefree'' but beneath that shell, there was a lot of caution. She bit her lips slightly and nodded. ''Get yourself together Vera¡­ this is not, a paradise¡­ I''ll become strong enough, to support them.'' With one hand she enclasped Fayette''s hand and with the other¡­ She grasped her eagle knife unconsciously. *** Inside, at the centre of the coliseum, a big purple-skinned demon waited with heavy armour and two heavy axes digging in the sand ground. "I didn''t think you had the balls to present yourself here." Bellcroft huffed in disdain. Valentine remained silent, remembering Sandmortelle''s words, ''His weakness is his speed.'' He took out one of the horntail knives while using Vera''s frightening knife in the other, the difference between the two was apparent just in size. Seeing the knife, Bellcroft''s eyebrows lifted as he released some smoke, "You got that, huh? You have guts, no one had dared to purchase that knife before." "¡­ Do you know what''s wrong with this knife?" Valentine tried. "And why would I tell a corpse? Let''s finish this, let''s see how good you truly are human! Try to not get destroyed to shreds too fast!" Bellcroft yelled like a war cry and two of his wings spread! !!! Vera and Fayette who were at the stands clenched their hands in apprehension. Fayette put her hands together and started to pray¡­ as if God would listen her words coming from hell. Bellcroft dug his wings on the ground and brandished his axes! He kicked the ground and propelled himself using his wings, ran at amazing speeds towards Valentine! *BAAANGGG!!* ''Do you think you can humiliate me publicly and just leave!?'' Valentine got on guard with a grim expression, he prepared his knives and started to run towards the incoming Bellcroft! !!! "He''s mad¡­" "Foolish, what a waste of time." The demon soldiers started to gossip, to them, Valentine is as good as dead. Far on the top stand, a demoness sat with her crossed legs, her dark skin toned by wars yet it never lacked that mysterious allure, her silver eyes regarded everything with special attention. None seemed to notice her presence. She smiled wickedly and stared at the duel with interest, ''Let''s see, Valentine...'' *** Valentine ran and prepared his horntail, all his eyes focused on Bellcroft''s every movement! With less than twenty metres separating them, the demon took one of his axes and threw it! Valentine grit his teeth harshly and his shone with a white flame! The figure of a blonde female naked in his arms filled his mind. ''Chance!'' "HHAAAAA!!" He yelled his own war cry and slides on the sandy ground! *FIIIUSSHH!!* The spinning axe scratched his hair! "I GOT YOU BASTARD!!" Bellcroft yelled as if he could already taste Valentine''s soul! With less than a few metres away he slashed his axe forth! Valentine, however, still with momentum kicked the ground and jumped! Bellcroft was no infant, he changed the angle of his axe, ready to bisect Valentine! The tension was at an all-time high, but the Bringer of Euthanasia would not fall this day! Valentine slashed forth with his knife, hoping! Still, on-air his knife clashed heavily against the axe but then the impressive happened! The horntail didn''t split in half, it cracked but didn''t break. And that was the hope of Valentine''s plan, if the horntail knife had broken, he would be fucked... the assassin used the force of the hit to create momentum in spiral and when he had the movement that he desired, he let go of the horntail! !!! "W-WHA-!" The demoness stood up with a maniacal grim! Valentine spun above the surprised Bellcroft who couldn''t change his trajectory at this point! With his other hand, he slashed downwards with the eagle knife! *SLASH!!* The knife cut like butter through the demon''s shoulder and bisected half of his arm! "AHHHHH---------!!!" Half of his arm was enough, the axe he had been holding left his arm and the bastard had the bad luck to fall on top of the injured arm, leaving a bloody mess. *THUD!* *BAANGG!!!* Valentine fell heavily on the ground as he didn''t have the correct position to easily recover, he left a bloody trail that came from the eagle knife, the knife had proven to be as sharp as it looked. *BAAANG!!!* Shortly after all this took place, the axe that Bellcroft threw hit the wall to the other side of the stage! ¡­ Silence. The only things that could be heard were Bellcroft''s pained yells and a burst of feminine maniacal laughter that no one knew where it was coming from! Fayette and Vera both stared at Valentine who hurriedly got back on his feet with tears in their eyes! ''I LOVE YOU!'' The two thought at the same time with Fayette even sticking her fist forward! "YES! YES!" She yelled like her team just scored a goal at the last minute! That''s HER man! Valentine stood up not knowing if he should just finish him off while he was like this, he didn''t expect to cut half of the demon''s whole arm, but this is a fight to death! Therefore he ran! ¡­ The onlookers were all simply awestruck! A human capable of overpowering a demon soldier has appeared!? his soul must be at least Bronze! Moreover, his clothes and that knife. A protector, he''s a protector! They stared a the direction where the laughter was coming from at the top of the stands but couldn''t see anyone, their gazes turned even harsher! ''Could it be¡­ A demon marquise?! It can''t be! what is such an individual doing here?'' Only someone of that rank is capable of hiding in plain sight, just the presence of this individual was enough to stun everybody into silence, everyone that was aware of the implications that is... *** Bellcroft''s shining slitted eyes shook uncontrollably! ''How is that possible!?'' He sensed behind him, Valentine coming! ''YOU DARE, HUMAN!?'' His wings flapped violently creating a lot of dust! *FIUSH!!* Valentine stopped abruptly but then ran inside the cloud of smoke, towards a particular place! Bellcroft ran with a hanging arm that he couldn''t move towards the axe on the ground, he grits his teeth and directly tore out his arm! *CRUNCH!!!!* Valentine wasn''t able to catch up and grunted in disgust upon seeing Bellcroft tear out his arm, but it was understandable, without being able to move it, it was in the way... Bellcroft had to stop to pick up the axe and Valentine was relentless. *FIUSH!* A big cut appeared on his neck when Valentine slashed the eagle knife mercilessly. Bellcroft managed to bend back before the thing beheaded him but a great amount of blood was falling from his neck and also from his wing that got scratched... ''That damned knife!'' How can that think cut him down so easily!? *FIUSSSH!!!* Valentine evaded the swing of the demon''s axe, he had been expecting it, and rather than chase him in close quarters, he retreated, there is no way he''s fighting this demon in close quarters without any flaw. As he ran Valentine threw his other horntail but the knife barely managed to embed itself deep enough in the demon''s skin! Moreover, no matter how sharp the knife was, he was still too weak to try and skewer him all the way through. It goes without saying the difference between the two knives in quality. The more he used it, the more he convinced himself that there must be some kind of trick as to why this knife was sold so cheaply, this thing is simply unbelievable. Bellcroft barely felt that as if he had been bitten by a mosquito and didn''t even bother to take out the knife, his pride would be his fall. ''COME HERE!!'' He ran towards Valentine in total anger, he wasn''t going to follow the plan! He''s going to slaughter this human, torture him before eating his soul! Bellcroft slashed down intending to finish the exchange with a kick, no matter how agile he is or his ability, he''s still just a human! Valentine evaded the axe that cut the ground heavily, but as expected he received a kick, but he couldn''t receive it without causing heavy losses for the opposite party! He placed a cracked horntail knife between himself and the demon''s leg! !!! *BAAANGG!!!* The noise of bones breaking resonated as Valentine''s rather ''delicate'' figure flew several metres. *COUGH!* He spits blood at that moment, feeling as if a mountain just clashed against his body. Fayette''s heart stopped when she saw that and her praying hands quivered. Bellcroft groaned in pain when the horntail stuck inside his leg not only that but as it had been cracked before, it just shattered inside, further enhancing the pain! He staggered on the ground in a bloody mess, missing an arm and his neck wasn''t any better... but it didn''t matter, that damned human must be finished. He got his axe and tried to stand up but when his gaze raised what he saw was Valentine''s standing body with the eagle knife! *COUGH!* Valentine coughed a big volume of blood onto the ground, his body pained all over, standing by pure sheer will. ''A single kick¡­ damaged me this much¡­'' He wanted to run, but couldn''t¡­ his body was battered and he could barely stand! "Why are you standing!?" Bellcroft yelled and tried to stand up still losing a big amount of blood from his neck and arm, his consciousness getting fuzzy but never reaching the point where his consciousness would stagger. The coliseum was totally silent, everyone stared at Valentine like he was some monster! It had been hundreds of thousands of years since some of them saw a human injure a Demon Soldier to this extent! "HAAAAA!!!" Valentine walked as fast as he could, eventually running while yelling. Bellcroft prepared, also walking slowly with the knife deeply sinking in his flesh with every step, he just planned to defend with his axe and then counter... the dastardly human still dared to be arrogant enough to start an offensive when he''s radically weaker. Valentine jumped on him and to the demon''s surprise, he threw the eagle knife at his head! Bellcroft easily moved his axe away from his chest to cover the dagger¡­ and that was his mistake. "HAAAA!!!" Valentine fell and grasped the knife that stuck in Bellcroft''s chest! !!! *SLASH!!* *SPURT!!* He dragged the knife across the demons flesh, cutting a big gap before retracting it and giving him the finishing touch, Bellcroft yelled in pain and the axe that successfully blocked the eagle knife was already descending, intending to crush Valentine but... He was too slow. As fast as a phantom, he slashed the blade exactly where he had already injured his neck before, leaving a deeper cut that sunk straight inside the demon''s veins ¡­ And the demon soldier''s head fell, together with Valentine''s body. The winner stared at the demon''s head and breathed heavily. ''Eat it¡­'' ''¡­?'' ''Open his brain and eat it¡­'' He crawled and approached the demon''s head! "VALE!?" Valentine''s white flame inside his eyes turned red at that moment. *CRUNCH!* His hand pierced the head''s eye! The demons all stared at this with shaking bodies! A human¡­ killed a Demon Soldier!? Bellcroft is no weakling but he''s also not the strongest of demon soldiers, they all didn''t dare say they could defeat him easily! Let alone as quickly as this human had done, he had suffered heavy losses yes, but the fact that he could defeat him in itself was already a miracle, doing so without any injures? that''s just a delusion. *CRUNCH!* Valentine took out a piece of brain that contained a crimson core inside, not bothering to heed the approaching Fayette''s shouts. And while struggling with his injured body, placed it inside his mouth, slowly. ''Eat it...dear~ eat it.... DEVOUR IT!'' Chapter 35 - The Aftermath The shining red piece of brain entered Valentine''s mouth. *RUMBLE!* His body burned like a volcano and unbeknownst to him, the eagle rune long dagger in the distance shined as if with excitement! "VALE!" By the time both Vera and Fayette reached the stage Valentine had already passed out. The putrid head of the demon guard lay to the side. "Vera, cover me!" Fayette took Valentine''s body in her arms and the auburn-haired woman nodded, taking the eagle dagger and the remaining horntail that wasn''t destroyed. The demons stared at them with grim expressions, utter astonishment. But they didn''t stop them. The two technically ran out of there, towards the hotel. Outside they saw a crowd of people, they had truly tried to close the whole coliseum. The pair of beauties ignored them vehemently and simply ran, who knows what would happen now. ''His performance was simply too much, our life here won''t be peaceful from now on¡­'' Fayette thought with concern and stared at the passed out Valentine with a kind gaze. Vera always ran in front, ready to slice anyone that got near¡­ she''d make sure that NO ONE touched him. *** It didn''t take them long to enter the hotel, the damned demon threw them a few kisses and even dared to look happy when he saw Valentine''s state! Suppressing her anger she opened the door with a head start and the two entered, closing it with a lock and even placing a chair behind the door! When they turned towards the second bed, however, Fayette''s heart stopped working. There stood that damned demoness! !!! Vera''s figure nearly blurred and she moved in front of Fayette! "What do you want!?" Fayette was rather surprised at Vera''s speed but the fear welling in her heart at this demoness'' appearance took all that surprise away. She yelled for an explanation. Lucretia smiled wickedly, her shining red eyes totally focused on Valentine as she licked her lips. "He''s way more than I expected him to be¡­" "Answer!" Vera insisted this time. Lucretia''s gaze then moved to the eagle knife as she smirked, "To think you would come in possession of ''her'' knife. It doesn''t seem to detest you even after tasting his soul, curious¡­I guess you''re lucky." She walked with a domineering pace, her big chest bouncing all over inside those bikini-like containers. It was then that Fayette and Vera once again realised they couldn''t move. !!! Fayette''s soul dropped, it can''t be¡­ ''I can''t protect him at all!'' Anger welled in her heart at an immense degree, ''Why am I always so powerless?!'' Vera''s thoughts were similar, a bloodthirstiness foreign to even her permeated her mind, ''Even after getting such a miraculous tool, I still can''t seem to be of use to them! Why!?'' Lucretia paid no attention to this, she touched the dagger in front of her, surprisingly clean despite the butchery that it went through. "It was tasty, right?~ It matters not¡­ I hope that you know what you''re doing, or not~ now..." She gave Vera some sentences that only left the girl even more bewildered. She moved past her and her gaze focused on Valentine totally ignoring Fayette''s killing intent. "If you do anything to him I swear-!" Fayette began but soon she became unable to even speak! A slender yet firm grip tightened around her neck. "You''re powerless girl, stop your nonsense¡­ I could send the three of you into nothingness and you won''t be able to stop me¡­ I could send you all by yourself and claim him¡­and there is NOTHING you can do, even as a silver soul, you better remember, here... you''re our livestock, I''m being polite with you, don''t push your luck." Lucretia''s gaze remained totally glued against Fayette''s but the latter wasn''t scared in the slightest, she had already said her word, even if she had to pull god''s beard, she would make sure to come back and tear the hell out of this bitch. Lucretia ignored this and caressed Valentine''s face as a trail of blood left his mouth, it''s obvious he''s still heavily injured. ¡­ "A pity¡­ I wanted to speak to him directly. I assume you''re aware of your circumstances¡­" She continued, addressing Fayette but her gaze never left Valentine''s body even as her long tail emerged and rolled around his arm, something that Fayette noticed. "¡­" She remained silent. "I''ll take that as a yes, I don''t know if ''he'' already planned anything or not, I''m looking forward to it, but for now I can tell you that this world''s diplomacy is not as simple as it looks¡­ You''re about to involve yourselves in a huge mess, but this might be your chance to surmount this situation." "¡­" Fayette and Vera still remained silent. "You''re not one to talk much~ since he''s not awake to receive me then that''s a pity, I''ll show myself once I see some progress." The dark-skinned demoness said those words and touched Valentine''s lips with her long nails, deforming them. "¡­" They still didn''t talk, but their countenances were getting progressively¡­ redder? ¡­ "Oh? Ah, sorry." Lucretia waved her hand and the next moment the two could speak again! "Bitch! Do you think this is funny!?" Fayette finally managed to yell! "Yes?~ Anyway, I''m out." Before leaving though she bent down and locked Valentine''s lips while he was still in Fayette''s arms! "Hmn~" Lucretia moaned and sucked on Valentine''s tongue so hard his body got pulled up! "Stop!" Seeing her man be kissed just like that without she being able to do anything¡­ Fayette didn''t know what to feel while Vera just desired to be in that demoness'' place... When the demoness finally released his lips a slimy and golden substance could be seen leaking from her mouth, it was as if she had been drinking a shiny golden lingot of gold! Valentine''s countenance visually paled after that. "W-What did you do!?" Vera yelled next, struggling to move her body but totally unable to! ''Just how is this slut doing this!?'' The two wondered inwardly, it''s totally outrageous! Lucretia ignored her and instead one of her fingers traced Valentine''s lips while the other cleaned hers, not letting a single drop of that golden liquid go to waste! "So delicious, I only tasted it once but it''s as if I can''t forget it¡­ this is a golden soul¡­ I would make a contract with you but¡­ not yet, I have to wait, looking at your fight with that demon, I''m even more convinced¡­ you can do better Valentine, I know you will give me a huge surprise~ as for this kiss." She introduced one of her fingers in his mouth, trying to squeeze it through his teeth as she smiled lewdly. "You have no idea how many demons in this world want a kiss from me yet won''t ever get It¡­ so I don''t think I owe you anything for this." She disregarded the two outraged women and walked to the door. Opened it and left as if everything had been a little nightmare. The moment she left the two girls were able to move again. Fayette didn''t even bother going after that demoness, she can''t win¡­ yet. She rested Valentine whose gaze was even paler now on the bed. Her waist still itched, and it wouldn''t stop itching for a long time, perhaps not until she crushed that slut''s skull. ¡­ "Go and prepare a hot bath Vera, I''ll take him, and bring the knives." She instructed Vera who before giving Valentine a last glance of concern, nodded and did as she was told. After Vera departed, Fayette remained alone with her beloved also with her knives in hand just in case. She caressed his face. "Why is it so hard to be together with you? How I wish you just popped up out of nowhere when I was in that hospital¡­ I''d have beaten cancer for you and we could have moved to some farm¡­ have some children and raise them¡­ Maybe have grandchildren and die and then¡­ " Her gaze contained longing by also dejection. "Then we would have come here anyway, perhaps not even together¡­" She clenched her hands remembering that seductress'' face. Her waist itches, she wants nothing more than to get rid of that bitch''s smile by smashing her pretty face apart. ''Perhaps we really had to meet here¡­ it''s foolish to think ''if''¡­ I''m already happy enough to have met you here.'' As she caressed his head and pecked his lips, she noticed that weird taste, weird and delightful taste. She sucked harder on his lips and extracted the little bit of ''golden'' goo that remained. ''T-This is really delicious...'' She doesn''t know how that demoness is able to take that out but just with a bit of that, her cheeks blushed slightly as her gaze changed from infatuation to lust... But she shook her head the next second, not noticing how her skin shone slightly. ''This Lucrecia is not a common Demon, she''s hiding her identity'' She can tell that much. Not even that Demon Magistrate from the exchange shop could stop them like that. After several minutes of consideration she took the bathrobes out of the bags and carried them to the bath together with Valentine, she wanted to clean him thoroughly, but she also needed to get some food for their dinner. ¡­ Fayette popped up carrying Valentine''s body to the bath where Vera was already naked and prepared. She placed him on the floor next to her "I''ll go and get some food, I''ll allow you to wash him, be careful as his bones are still¡­ broken." It pained her how while drawing him here, his body contorted in weird shapes¡­ As if every single one of his body broke with that single kick and it could no longer keep the most basic of integrities. Vera instead had another idea she bit her lips in reluctance but still said it, "Why don''t we wash him together? You can get food afterwards." ''I''m such an idiot, there is finally an opportunity and I¡­'' Fayette''s eyebrows lifted, "Could it be that you don''t trust yourself to keep your hands off while I''m not here?" "¡­ I don''t" Vera answered honestly with a smirk, if she''s left alone with Valentine, naked¡­ she didn''t know what she would do. ''Assault him? would I really do that? Am I that desperate?'' She wondered, whenever she looked at him, the answer is yes¡­ Fayette''s gaze pierced her, "Thanks for your honesty¡­ It should not be too late to get some food after we finish. I''ll get my bathrobe, wait here." ¡­ Vera stared at Valentine and started to undress him. Caressing his muscles a little more than necessary, staring at his crotch with a focused gaze. Once he was naked she approached his face and gave him a kiss on the cheek. ''Thanks for everything so far.'' But then, when she prepared to retreat her gaze, her lips landed on his briefly for one second, then two. Ten. Her hand-rolled down with desire but also a consideration, she didn''t want to abuse him while he was in this state, she just wanted to¡­ make him feel good. She reached the soft object and started to stroke , softly at first. But then she focused on the slimy grown head. Several minutes passed until she suddenly stopped. ¡­ ''W-What am I doing? Not like this¡­'' She bit on her lips and removed her hand. Alas, the damage was already done and it couldn''t be concealed, that shaft wouldn''t go limb...! "I''m back." Fayette entered wearing her bathrobe. !!! Chapter 36 - A Fool’s Delusions Fayette closed the door behind her and entered the bathroom, what she found was the delicate image of Vera washing Valentine''s body. He is with his belly on the ground and she sat on his butt, scrubbing his back, if one looked closely, she is slightly blushed and her hands are quivering! "Everything is okay?" Fayette raised her eyebrows, detecting the little anomaly. "Yes! Sorry, I didn''t wait for you¡­ perhaps it''s better to do it quickly, we don''t know if the city will be too dangerous for you once you get out." Vera smiled and continued scrubbing. Bollocks. "I see, how considerate of you¡­ I thought you would want me dead¡­" Fayette smirked and moved into the bathroom, but her comment made Vera gape slightly before her countenance returned to normal. She stopped. "I would never do that, Faye¡­" She said honestly, despite whatever feelings she might harbour inside her heart, she truly doesn''t want to cause Fayette any harm. "¡­" the blonde listened attentively. "I love him but¡­ I¡­ wouldn''t ever try to harm you." "¡­ so you''re going to admit it?" "¡­ isn''t it obvious by now? Look where I am sitting¡­ do you really think, the relationship of the three of us is common?" The Russian beauty actually smirked, she hadn''t considered it until now. They have tried to survive to the extreme. Shared their pee, cleaned each other''s bodies, drank and ate each other''s flesh¡­ in the midst of survival, she hadn''t caught up with what their relationship had turned into. It had gotten twisted to the point that Fayette considered the current situation normal. And that''s also the other reason why she just couldn''t throw Vera away¡­ in the current situation, sharing sounded like the most appropriate thing to do, but¡­ why? Why can''t she accept it? Valentine has also shown his loyalty, time and time again... during the entire year, Elka hasn''t been the only girl they ''saved'' but they never took anyone with them after taking Vera, this was his idea, not hers. His eyes seemed to be only glued to the two of them, but even with that, she still can''t accept it. Vera sitting on Vale''s butt, naked, cleaning his back. For some reason, she couldn''t associate this with ''cheating''. But kissing and, more¡­ that''s another matter. ¡­ Eventually, the blonde sighed and moved behind Vera, she took one of the soap ''bars'' and started to clean valentine''s feet. She didn''t ask Vera to move away. "I''m sorry Vera, I have to¡­ think about this a little more." That''s all she could say, the same thing she had done for half a year, stall. "I understand¡­ I''ll wait Faye, the one that''s invading your relationship, is me anyway¡­" The girl smiled self-mockingly. "¡­ you''re not Vera, back then¡­" Fayette''s gaze grounded and she stopped her scrubbing. "¡­?" Vera listened attentively. "I think that we made the right decision, taking you with us¡­" The ex-Commander finally sighed and said honestly. "R-Really? Haven''t I been a bother?" Vera bit on her lips, perhaps not wanting the answer to that question, despite the fact that she has been getting stronger and clever, she''s still too far behind them. Like a bag of bricks. She can adapt quickly to the situation and be clever, it''s what she had done most of her life after all, but she''s not a soldier. "No¡­ when we took you in we had expectations of you¡­ you''re not a combatant, but you have exceeded our expectations, so¡­ no, you haven''t been a bag of bricks, Vera, you still have to improve some things but, with enough time... you will achieve it." Naturally, when they took her in, they expected her to become strong enough to fend for herself, it was but an act of humanity. She had gotten stronger, she had even killed some wolves by herself in the forest. "Thank you¡­ it really means a lot, I know that sometimes we don''t speak to each other honestly, and there is always this tension but¡­ I¡­ love you too Faye, you''re like the sister I never had, a big bully of a sister, but a sister nonetheless~" the girl managed to giggle and continued her scrubbing. Hopefully, she stalled enough time, but truthfully, those are her feelings. "¡­ I see." Fayette curled up her lips and didn''t say anything else, continuing with her scrubbing too. "What are we going to do now? They''re going to go after us¡­" Vera now took a topic of relative importance to them. It prompted Fayette to lift her gaze up in contemplation. "I don''t know, this anti-violence city doesn''t seem to be what we expected, if Vale hadn''t been skilled enough, he might be dead¡­ leaving the city seems to be the wisest option, but we don''t know anything about how the outside world is like except for the next city''s location and this ''Blood Maiden Forest''¡­ for all we know this place might be a ''secure haven'' within hell." The two thought that possibly they have been rather lucky, or more like, due to their skill, they had it easier than most. "Just going by the classification, we only managed to come here due to our score, if we weren''t that skilled to leave that forest in a single year who knows where we would have been sent to" Vera started to scrub the back of Valentine''s arms while Fayette nodded and finished the right feet. She always wondered, who exactly does the assessment? could it be that ''demon'' that was standing in front of them before? "When he wakes up, it''s better to start planning our escape, we don''t know what''s outside those gates but we can always learn, seriously, it can''t be worse than that forest¡­" "¡­" What can be worse than sulfur raining on your body and melting it over and over? "Turn him around, let''s clean the front." Fayette sighed and said that only for Vera to start quivering slightly. "O-Okay." ¡­ ''What hasn''t it gone down!?'' Vera and Fayette started at the object that stood up proudly, perhaps seeking some attention. It resembled a rebellious penguin looking for a fight, it seemed to be saying ''Who''s going at it first, huh!?'' Vera rocked her head to get rid of the stupid thought while Fayette threw a deadpan, restraining her anger a bit, it''s not like that thing can stand on its own, right? "¡­ sorry." That''s all Vera could say. Fayette sighed again, she''s been doing that a lot lately. "Just don''t do anything, it will go down eventually¡­" "Huh? S-Shouldn''t you like¡­ relieve him?" Vera stuttered, perhaps eager for a little show or a hot party, opening a bottle of champagne and having it spill all over. Several fun ''things'' they could do. "¡­ what do you think this is? a 2020''s porn movie? He''s sleeping, he will calm down eventually¡­" Fayette just threw her ''sister'' a deadpan and continued to scrub every single one of her lover''s foot nails. What''s she expecting? a 3D porn show? "¡­" Disappointment. She could only feel disappointment as she sat on the side, scrubbing her crush''s chest. ... "It''s been so long since the three of us are together, but you still haven''t told us what you were back on Earth, Vera." Fayette opened her lips with her same inquisitive gaze, after they have reached this juncture, she wants to know, it''s of vital importance in order for her to keep trusting Vera, after all, between him and Valentine, they''re not holding the secret to her, or at least she isn''t, perhaps Valentine has one or two? !!! The sentence came so suddenly that it took Vera out of guard, she immediately started to shiver. "W-Why do you want to know?" By now she knows their identity, but it''s impossible for her to feel ''frightened'' or ''awed'' at existences that she didn''t meet or know back on Earth. Valentines is a renowned serial killer, assassin, even a hero... but one that always fought for justice, he killed millions of innocents, apparently, but he also saved several dozens of millions... slaughtered and hunted hundreds of evil lords, those that made people suffer, it could even be said the world changed because of his actions. Fayette had been a French military commander who at her time with her influence was no different than a Queen, likewise, she has killed thousands of innocents, but as a result, the French gained a position in Europe that it never had before. So, yes... their presence in hell and their ''soul rank'' can be somehow justified. They were very prominent individuals back in their time, since they''re not directly involved with her timeline, Vera is unable to properly comprehend the impact of their identities. "I still don''t truly understand how this ''rank'' works, but I know that Vale, giving his actions might perhaps deserve a Golden soul, me, a silver¡­ I''d say that I don''t match for it, but again, I don''t know what criteria are being used to measure this¡­" "¡­" "But you''re a bronze soul¡­ you''re a person worth a hundred thousand Onyx souls, I don''t know what that means, but you''re clearly not a simple individual." Fayette concluded, perhaps Vera is not up to their standards, but there is no way she''s a simple person "¡­" Vera sighed, those disgusting memories, coming back. "I don''t like talking about it¡­ but I can give you a resume¡­ I was a spy." !!! "Oh?" Now she''s interested. "Since you''re from the future, you might now I''m from the Russian Empire, the region of Ukraine¡­ and during the last period of my life I worked as a spy for the Bolsheviks." Vera bit on her lips tightly. "What!?" ''My god¡­'' She didn''t expect to ever meet such personages in hell and also¡­ no wonder, no wonder she can ''adapt'' to everything so easily. She''s an expert in seduction and knows her ways with words, the qualities of a spy. But still, she''s somewhat oblivious to the big scheme of things, this is not something a spy would overlook, this increased Fayette''s curiosity over Vera''s past. "I''m not proud¡­ when I was still a child I got abused and introduced into that world by some bastard called Lev¡­ he raised me for many years in a lot of ways until he gave me my last mission, the mission where I perished¡­ I was in that mission for several years and I had to infiltrate the Russian royal family." Vera continued her ''summary''. "¡­" Fayette couldn''t believe what she was hearing, hell is truly not a place where one should judge anyone by their appearance. ''Lev?'' "I still don''t know how anything that I did warrants me to have a bronze soul." Vera continued scrubbing Valentine''s body, feeling slightly disgusted with herself, as if rather than cleaning him, she''s staining him with her dirty. But she had already learned to deal with that. "When you say Lev¡­ do you mean Lev Davidovich, Trotsky?!" The blonde immediately joined the dots, she still couldn''t believe it, Trotsky, spy in the Russian Royal Family, no wonder¡­ No wonder she''s a ''bronze''. "Yes, could it be that the bastard become famous?" She smiled self mockingly once again. Fayette nodded, "but not you¡­ there isn''t a Vera Sidorov¡­" She''s doesn''t remember all the details of the bolshevik revolution, but there definitely isn''t a Vera Sidorov. "Perhaps because I wasn''t using that name back then¡­ Alexandra Tegleva or ''Shura'', does that ring a bell?" She said neutrally, took Valentine''s hand and cleaned between his fingers, one by one¡­ expertly. As if she has done this before. !!! "It¡­ does¡­ but... it can''t be, I can barely remember you, you were their children''s nurse... but according to the records, you survived the revolution, married..." This is ridiculous. Empress Alexandra of Russia''s maid. "That''s a lie! I never married anyone! I was executed for ''treason'' because I refused to let the Grand Duchess die... Anastasia... Olga... I gave my life away for them, but even then, I couldn''t even save Olga!" Sobs resurfaced and tears fell, Fayette realised that she went too far. She immediately stood up and hugged Vera tightly, "D-Don''t say anything else if you don''t want to..." Vera''s sobs continued for a while, "N-No... I''ll tell you everything and leave my past behind... I have a future now, with the two of you, I can''t be thinking about that again... what was in the Earth, should remain in the Earth." The two of them released the hug and continued washing Valentine that after all commotion that seemed like he wasn''t going to wake up yet. "I don''t know if it has to do with anything but Alexandra Feodorovna and the entire Royal Family was canonised in the 2000s¡­ you were the maid of a saint, is that perhaps the reason why you''re a bronze?" "HAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAH!!! SAINT!? THAT BITCH!? I CAN''T BELIEVE THIS!" "¡­" Chapter 37 - Alexandra "Shura" Tegleva "When I was born, I was born Vera Sidorov... in 1882 at Yanovka." She began her tale while cleaning Valentine''s arms, the beauty kept straddling his chest while Fayette was inside the pool, leaning forward and cleaning his legs, listening attentively. "My mother was a prostitute... and she had me by mistake... even then, she didn''t kill me, she accepted me and worked hard to sustain us but... in the end life was too difficult." "..." "One day, while shopping through one of the markets, one boy set his eyes on me... he was Lev and he was the son of a wealthy family, at that time I didn''t know which, he was three years older than me and he seemed to have ''fancied'' me when he saw me... He was seven years old and I was three." "... That''s a region in Ukraine, right...? It stopped calling itself like that long ago, now it''s called Bereslavka" Fayette added, but her eyes were perceiving the lady''s every reaction as if trying to decipher her feelings about the matter, but she seemed to be imperturbable like she didn''t care at all. "To make it simple... he and I became friends, he was going to leave to some kind of school... and that was when I was said that I could go with him to that school... I refused, I didn''t want to leave my mother, but she reassured me, telling me that she would be okay... it wasn''t until much later that I knew that she sold me..." "... sorry." That''s all she could say, what a sorrowing past. "Don''t be... I don''t care about her, these events don''t pain me anymore, what pains me it''s what happened afterwards." Vera curled up her lips with self-mockery and cleaned each of Valentine''s fingers. "Our relationship wasn''t bad until he grew older... during the first years of our lives we attended a school in Odessa I was like his maid, taking care of his every need, but the more he grew up, the more obsessive he became... one time I had a lover in school and he discovered it, that day he killed that boy... and told me that I was ''his'' before he abused me... that was my first time..." "..." "I morphed from his ''maid'' to his slave... and I couldn''t do anything, he told me that I belonged to him, that he ''bought'' me for a hefty price... I was too shocked by my mother''s betrayal back then that I didn''t even defy him..." "During the rest of the period we attended school he abused me constantly, for years, and even ''trained'' me by having me swindle the school and the town authorities for him, he said that those skills would come in ''handy''. He got obsessed with the ''revolution'' and together with a group WE started to disrupt whatever institution we could, it was at that time that I believed myself to be free, he met a woman called Alexandra and fell in love with her, I thought I was going to be free after that, but I was wrong... she just joined to the ''abuse'' those revolutionary, they were all a bunch of bastards!" "V-Vera if you want to stop..." She didn''t want the girl to get exalted. "No! You wanted to know, right?! I will tell you!" But the girl is already exalted, she stood up, sat down again but this time with Valentine''s head on her lap where she started to clean his hair, but one could see her eyes were bloodshot. Her dedication to cleaning his body is impressive. "..." "At one time we were exiled to Siberia, during that period of time he married that bitch and I couldn''t rejoice more... I managed to escape the prison together with him, but I didn''t waste time, the first opportunity I had, I disappeared from his sight, I knew we had a difficult situation, the only possible way for me to have a ''peaceful'' life would be to leave the country, he wanted to take me to London but I refused, I''d rather live hell in the Empire than go anywhere else with him." "For years life was difficult, I was skilled, and thanks to the accursed things that he taught me... I managed to evade the authorities... for years I seduced wealthy men and they took care of me, whenever they see beauty, it''s like their brains stop working... that was until I was captured again and exiled to Siberia once more... this time I couldn''t escape... but I didn''t need to, he took me out of there... that bastard came back and took me out of there, but this time, he didn''t do it out of the grace of his heart... he had a mission that only ''I'' could do." "Infiltrate the royal family?" "Yes, by then he was allied with the Bolsheviks... and they wanted someone in the royal palace... I accepted, mainly because by doing this mission, I would be away from him... my name was changed to Alexandra Tegleva as Vera Sidorov could no longer be seen... he was convinced that with my beauty I would be able to sneak in easily... and he wasn''t wrong... I was sent to St Petersburgh." "..." Fayette was anything if not awed, she didn''t expect Vera''s life to be so adventurous. "Do you think I''m dirty, Faye? Throughout my entire life, I have used my body as the most efficient of weapons... I have killed people... even in their sleep I slaughtered them to take their money... do you think I''m filthy? that I shouldn''t be touching him?" Vera''s hands wandered and her fingers touched Valentine''s lips, her filthy hands... "... I don''t think you''re filthy, Vera... I think... you''re one of the best women I have met." "...?" Her words made the lady quiver slightly, suggesting her to continue. "I have met so many women that use their body in order to get material things... insignificant things they could have gotten someway else, with opportunities yet they choose that path, filthy sluts... but I have also met a lot of women who have used their bodies... to survive... I think, in those circumstances... you have to use anything you have... and if the only thing you have in your body and your brain... you have to use it, efficiently... and I believe you did, Vera... that''s why you''re amazing." Fayette summarized her words, now that she finished cleaning Valentine up, she just lay on his crotch, with her two lumps ''sheltering'' the now limb shaft, much to Vera''s chagrin. "Thank you, Faye... coming from a woman like you, it means a lot" Vera''s lips curled up amidst the storytelling, she felt, nice... To her, Fayette is the peak of what a woman should be... breathtakingly beautiful, immensely strong yet also free and independent... everything she herself wasn''t. She is a beauty, yes, but her life hadn''t been free at all, she was always subjected to belong to a man... for shelter, for security... for anything, and that''s mostly what made her feel so disgusted by herself, it wasn''t until she met these two that she realised how dependant she had been on something like that. And as they say, if you don''t change them, they change you. She''s slowly but steadily becoming strong and independent like them. "Entering the palace... it couldn''t have been any easier... paradoxically, Nicholas II was the easiest man to seduce... I''d say because of a mixture of circumstances... first off, he lacked security, he was immensely handsome, but his penis was small..." She smirked, now not feeling so shameful at her tale, even Fayette smirked at this, the presence of the object beneath becoming even more prominent, that one is not small. "When I first entered it was as a common maid, one of the head maids, Anna Demidova had contact with one of the revolutionaries that recommended me, but she didn''t know he was a revolutionary... I entered the Alexander Palace, the best place I have stayed at, though I didn''t last long in there... as I said, seducing that man was easy as taking a sweet from a kid, Russia''s situation wasn''t good and he was being blamed by everybody, even his wife... he also didn''t have confidence in his own body, his self-esteem was so bad... that mere words were enough for me to seduce him, our first time was pitiful... it was at that time that I realised that the Rasputin rumours with the Queen were likely right..." "My work was basically to reunite information and report it to an agent every week, I did that for three years... during that time I was the Tsar''s lover... his favourite and I have to confess, that I also started to fall for him slightly... a person like me, sick of abuse... didn''t want to know anything that had to do with sex, and he who didn''t have much confidence in that regard also didn''t, so... except for some special occasions, we only drank tea together, went on lovely dates and kissed... he loved me so much that he didn''t bother hiding this from the Tsarina... it was his revenge, the woman had lovers everywhere and everybody within the palace knew... except for the Grand Duchesses who were too pure to realise." As she thought of all this, she regarded Valentine''s face. She doesn''t know if it was love because she''s utterly sure she loves this man laying on her lap, and the feeling, although similar, can''t compare in magnitude. "Did you love him?" Fayette inquired further, she''s really intrigued. "I don''t know... I caused his death, and I don''t feel guilty about it but... I can''t deny that he''s the man that treated me the best while I lived... yeah... I think I liked him... but my fear for Lev was bigger... probably because of his lack of self-steem, even after having someone like me, Nicholas was still a coward deep inside, totally unlike Valentine..." Vera sighed, the beauty didn''t even shy from making this comparison. This is what she loves about Valentine the most, the man is fearless, he has utter confidence in himself and his skills, when the two of them believed he would likely perish against that demon, she surprised them with his unparalleled skills, her heart thumped so loudly when that demon fell, that she can hardly contain herself anymore. As for the Emperor''s fall, she didn''t feel bad about those occurrences, the past is the past after all... she had even forgotten all this during the time she spent in the forest with that bastard, inside that cave. "During that time my relationship with his daughters also became excellent, this is the only thing that pains me out of this story... those girls... I loved them, especially Anastasia she was so cute and lively, yet her mother was so apathetic with her, I wished she had been my daughter, I saw myself in her... betrayed by my mother, yet I didn''t know..." "Did you ever have children?" "No... I don''t know why, perhaps during one of his mad surges of sadism, Lev destroyed something inside me... I never used protection... so I don''t know, perhaps I was just infertile." She thought that was the best... with her kind of life, having children would have been a disaster. "The moment of the truth came too soon, in my last report... I had to make a choice, the Bolsheviks were making their revolution... and the royal family was planning to flee as Nicholas lost his power and influence... thanks to me and my reports, most of his movements to counter the revolution were dwarfed, that coward... I think that was when my feelings for him died... he told me to escape together... to leave his entire family and escape with him to another continent... that''s when I decided to forget him. if he wanted to leave his slut of a wife and take his daughters and me... I might have accepted... but he wanted to leave his daughters as well, I couldn''t follow up with his intentions and so, I reported it... that they planned to flee to Yekaterinburg, but then I received an order... the order was to convince Nicholas to stay in the palace while the revolution took place..." "..." "With a lot of disgust I had my last night with him... after what he said, I didn''t want to touch even a nail of that bastard, but I had no option, if I wanted to keep him in the palace, that''s the only thing I could do... luckily, that bitch was also having a ''guest'' in her chambers, good riddance really, can''t believe that slut got turned into a ''saint''... but I''m no to judge ''sluts'' either... after I finished and he slept, I moved to the quarters of the girls, I didn''t have much time... I desperately woke them up and told them that they had to leave, I prepared for this for months and knew that bastard Lennin wasn''t going to let them go even if they were just teenagers, so with whatever money I could save, which was a lot considering Nicholas gave me plenty of gifts, I prepared to make them flee... I had already bought a property in another state through a proxy, I only needed to get a caravan to lead them there." "The girls were scared, but they believed everything I did... in fact, they loved me more than they did their parents, I spent more time with them than the two of them together after all... disgusting." "Not surprising... I also had a better relationship with the maids than with my mother, Vera." Fayette added. "There were a bunch of contraband caravans that were taking people out of St Petersburgh due to the impending revolution... I told one of the maids, Yekaterina, to take Maria, Tatiana and Alexei to the location that I signalled... and take care of them, that I would go in another caravan and be with them shortly, from there we would go back to Ukraine and live there with the money I had amazed... but fate wasn''t on my side... I never saw them again, I never knew if they made it" That moment was when her tears rolled down and fell on Valentine''s face, only then did she notice... that his silver eyes were open and glancing at her! !!! "V-Vale! are you-" Fayette also noticed this and was about to raise, but Valentine stopped her. "Continue... don''t stop..." The man caressed Vera''s cheek, his hand still struggled to even move, he recovered his consciousness a while ago and was listening to everything. "Y-Yes..." Her former confidence seemed to have become a dream, did he listen to everything she said?! "The worst happened when I managed to put Tatiana and Maria in a caravan that had a lot of rubbish in it, I apologised to them, but a normal royal caravan would be too noteworthy... they cried and begged me to not let them go, but I had to do it for their own good... that caravan departed and I moved to the next location where the next one was supposed to depart from together with Olga and Anastasia... even at that moment, the girl held me tightly, she seemed to notice my nervousness and her words almost broke my heart and filled me with determination to live." Her lips contorted and sorrow filled her visage. "Everything will be alright, mother..." "At that moment, she called me mother... and she said those words with such a smile... but my happiness wasn''t long-lasting, at that spot where the disguised caravan was taking in passengers... the place was assaulted by the revolution... it had started and we were captured, I couldn''t believe it." "I was labelled as a traitor by then... Nicholas couldn''t believe it when he was told I was an agent, we were taken to Yekaterinburg, and I knew that was my last chance, I ignored his and the Tsarina''s piercing gaze and while we were in the caravan, I assaulted one of the men that were escorting us... two shots resonated... one impacted my chest... the other... it impacted Olga''s head." As she said those words the woman covered her eyes and sobbed, perhaps her biggest regret. !!! "Even during that time, that bastard, that coward! he didn''t do anything! he could have helped me, but he didn''t do anything!" "..." Valentine and Fayette couldn''t really say anything either, what a tragic story. "I overpowered one of the guards and managed to take his gun, but a second bullet impacted my shoulder while those two royal bastards didn''t do anything, some of their retainers, however, decided to help me, and overpowered the other guard, when I took the gun I shot him on the head." "The commotion reached the front of the caravan and I shot some bullets through the wall to see if I scored, if I did or not, I''m not aware. The coward dared to instil me to calm down, that I would get them all killed, stupid imbecile, at this juncture he didn''t know they were being moved to be executed..." "Seeing that the vehicle wasn''t stopping, I decided to do the only possible thing, we already reached the civilisation, so with a lot of struggle and pain, I took Anastasia''s hand and jumped... we fell on the cold snow and I covered her with my body, but the pain was simply too much." "The girl cried and asked for help while my consciousness divagated... I knew I wasn''t going to make it and I couldn''t allow her to shout in a place where everyone could be the enemy... therefore, with my last strength I gave her my coat... to protect her from the cold... I gave her some of the coins I had in me and told her to go to Yanovka, to never surrender, that I believed she could do it, that I trusted her... and I asked her to forgive me... for being such a bad mother..." At this stage, Vera was crying disconsolately. Valentine could only receive her tears and caress her cheek, she had worked too hard. She shouldn''t be a bronze soul... she should be a golden soul, what she did... it''s astounding. "The last memory I had was that of her tearing eyes as the cold took me over... I felt so angry... so angry that I couldn''t save her, I knew the possibilities of her survival were minimal, but that''s really all I could do, I felt angry with that bastard Lev, with Nicholas, with everyone... why did such a cute girl have to suffer like that?! anger took me over at my last moments, and then... I found myself falling from that red sky... naked... that''s my story, I have nothing to hide anymore." *sob* She continued to sob even after finishing her story because her biggest regret is that she couldn''t spend the rest of her life with those kids, she doesn''t even know if they made it. But a rush of reassurance came her way, in the form of Valentine''s lips. He raised his head and pulled her head, closing their lips together. !!! She gaped, he... kissed her... even after hearing her story, even after knowing she''s filthy. The kiss didn''t last long, he had wanted to do this and couldn''t hold himself back after hearing such an amazing story, his silver eyes would truly regard Vera differently after today. Fayette clenched her hands and glared at Valentine, but she didn''t say anything... because she feels that Vera deserves at least this much. "I don''t think you''re filthy... I think you''re an amazing woman, and we''re lucky to have you with us... ''bronze'' is too short to what you deserve." "Yes, Vera... I''m really proud of what you did." ... "T-Thank you, the two of you... I''m also happy that I met you." Her heart fluttered uncontrollably and although she spoke to the two of them, her infatuated eyes were staring at Valentine''s eyes only. "Now now, should I leave the bathroom?~" Her tone sounded like a joke, but her glare didn''t. !!! *cough* "No... let''s go, I really feel like I want to sleep for a while, my body is still a little pained, Faye." a surprisingly blushed Valentine and Vera evaded each other''s glances as the former coughed and extended his hand, intending for Fayette to take it and pull it up. They left the bathroom after that, but Vera''s fluttery heart couldn''t be stopped for a long time. She regarded her body, her hands... and she no longer felt as filthy. No, she fell in love. Chapter 38 - The Scheming Ground Somewhere in the outskirts of Mahogany City, inside a luxurious room, souls wailed within a chimney. Their bodies burned and burned as their wails soothed the feelings of the individuals present. *BAMM!* A green-skinned demon with a good pair of longhorns punched a table and shattered it to shreds! "Lord Gleipnir, please..." A sexy demoness tried to appease him but the demon only grabbed her by the head, and crushed it against the floor! *SPLACK!* The demoness'' brain cells rained everywhere as the man viciously took something from inside her brain and ate it! *BAANGG!!* "Do you think Demon Soldiers are found in trees, whore!? Zagato!" He yelled at the demoness corpse and kicked before yelling a name. "Yes my Lord..." A demon butler entered the room with a bow, his skin was also green. "I want you to hunt that bastard! Bring him before me! He must be a bronze soul!" The demon took a seat and addressed the butler. "My Lord, that might not be the best option, Lord Sandmortelle has his eyes on him, moreover... I''m not... a demon soldier" the butler stuttered and his expression paled when the Demon Magistrate suddenly towered in front of him! "Are you going against my orders? Do you think I care about that bastard? So what if you''re just a measly demon? I''m telling you... to bring him to me..." His demonic voice spits on the butler''s face. If that human managed to kill a demon soldier, what will he do with a normal demon!? It has been ages ever since a human killed a demon soldier in this city or any nearby city. Silence ensued for a minute with only the wailing humans burning in the chimney. "But my Lord... he could have already told Marques Warcroft... if we involve ourselves in this matter more than necessary... it''s going to spoil the faction''s plans to the Marques." "..." For one, the big gree demon magistrate, Gleipnir, stopped to think. "... I want you to keep an eye on him, just from afar, if you see no signs of Sandmortelle''s party involving on this... then bring me his crystal!" "Yes my lord." The butler nodded and left with a sense of relief, he dodged a bullet. ... Gleipnir took one of them from the chimney and without even stopping for a second, with his enormous strength split him in two! *SPLAT!* The human wailed in despair but not for long, his whole upper body got eaten by Gleipnir in one go. ''... I''ll get your crystal, bastard, just you wait...'' If he got himself a bronze soul, he wouldn''t need many to step into the next rank and become a Count, maybe then would those bastards from the faction take him seriously. *** Fayette covered herself in a hood and walked down the road looking for somewhere to get food from, her mind was full of plans and schemes... after a long period of convincing, she managed to convince Valentine to let her go and get food. She had to get food for a few days as they didn''t intend to leave until he''s okay. ''Now that Vale showed his prowess, they''re going to hunt us, we have to leave this city... but then... what? where to go?'' So far they had been lied upon so much that they didn''t even know who to believe anymore. They had learned from that demon in the exchange shop where the next city was, but that city isn''t anti-violence... however, this city hasn''t been much of a relief even though it is anti-violence, her consciousness was telling her that the other city would be way worse. Just as she was crossing through the street she saw an alleyway to the side, there, something shone. Like a mirror that''s been set on an angle and is reflecting the sun, but there is no sun here. ''...?'' Her curiosity got immediately picked by what could it be that was shining in there and she approached only to relent in the next second and shake her head. They accorded to not use the alleyways. ''It''s not a good idea- HMN!?'' *BANG* She felt her body get pushed by someone into the alleyway! The few demons that managed to notice this swift movement only smirked and continued with their own lives! ... Inside the alleyway, Fayette growled as she felt how someone locked her by the neck as she struggled! "!&$&¡¤$/$&/&"(((" She heard the man say something that she didn''t understand. From the front she managed to catch the glimpse of another man, he was in his forties and his eyes full of greed stared not only at her body but also at the bag of coins hanging from her waist! "%&()/=?))(&/!" !!! The commander''s eyes shone in outrage, she wasn''t going to fall here! The moment the man approached with the intent of copping a feel of her body and picking her bag, she lifted her leg and kicked him! "FUCK YOU!" *BAANG!* Using the momentum she jumped and somehow managed to make the man behind lose his grip! Some of her items fell on the ground but she managed to release herself! "!&%¡¤$&)(/&=)-UHG!!!" The man that had her in a lock yelled some unintelligible things but the first thing she did was to give him a roundhouse kick! The kick was so strong that she pushed his whole weight against the wall. The other man came to fight her and they engaged in a fight where Fayette got surprised at this person''s skills despite his clear perverted nature. The other man recovered from the hit and lounged at her, but she evaded one punch by ducking, then the skilled man''s fist by leaning to the side, she used the momentum to impulse herself in a jump and kicked the first man''s back! "UGH!!" The man groaned and fell on the floor while Fayette managed to land on the other side of the alleyway, not wasting time she attacked the first man while the other was on the floor. The man in his forties cursed once again in a language she didn''t understand and lounged at her, not wanting to waste time she bit her lips and prepared to draw her knife, they didn''t know she''s armed, and that''s her advantage. At one point she saw an opening in the skilled man as the other recomposed himself, he kicked her calf and she took the chance by replicating the same kick, it was a standard Muay Thai low kick. *BANG!* "AHHH!!" The two leg''s shins met up in a clash that resulted in the man''s loss, Fayette groaned a little and stumbled but the man held his leg in pain and that was her chance. He didn''t even have time to tell when Fayette took out the knife and sliced towards his neck! *SLASH!* Blood splurted and the other thief paled when he saw that! "$"&¡¤%/!!!!" He gave Fayette not a gallant glare but a scared glare and tried to run. Sadly, the commander didn''t intend to leave witnesses, she initially wanted to just knock them out, but since they not only carried on but even dared try to molest her, there is no mercy for those. As the man reached the end of the alleyway into the avenue, a pair of arms took him by the neck, very much the same way he had taken Fayette and dragged him in! *SLASH!* *** *** Fayette exhaled deeply, walking towards the nearest restaurant, now with bloodied clothes. ''A single day in the "anti-violence" city and someone already tried to rob and possibly abuse me... don''t get into the alleyways, noted'' She placed the two crystals in one of her pockets, these crystals were different, they''re Onyx crystals. ''They didn''t even last a week...'' She sighed at her clothes and entered the first restaurant she saw, she only wanted to go back to her man as quickly as possible. But when looking at the menu, she felt like throwing up! !!! ''Human parts again? Is this some kind of cannibal restaurant?'' She thought, the restaurant looked so luxurious and well-versed like a Michelin restaurant back in France, but it was a cannibal restaurant!? Her eyes widened the next second. It was at that moment that it dawned upon her... it''s not ''cannibal'' because they''re not supposed to be the customers, they''re the food. Chills went through her body, maybe that first restaurant they went to get their pastries was the only normal one, that''s why he brought them there, and that''s why it was far away, clearly that restaurant was the ''exception'' not the rule. This is the rule... She turned to the side and several demons had their eyes on her while the scarce humans that passed nearby stared at her with clear disgust! "Hello deary~ we haven''t had a customer from the circle of gluttony for a long time, what can I get you~?" A purple-skinned sexy demoness with short green hair approached and winked at Fayette. "..." The attitude of these demonesses pissed her off. "D-Do you have... normal food?" Fayette bit her lips. "Oh?" The demoness tilted her head cutely at the request. "I mean, chicken, cow meat... tofu? or something like that...?" "Oh? I see you haven''t been here long, I thought you were from the circle of gluttony" The demoness answered with a ''smile''. "..." "You''re so cute~ you see, the kind of ''food'' you''re looking for, is very hard to find in this place, but... I could find it for you" The demoness played with Fayette''s hair but the latter managed to get away. "... And what do I have to give in exchange? I can pay you..." at least she could bargain. "Pay me? it will cost you, but I can give you a discount if you give me some..." she licked her lips, "service..." Fayette evaded her gaze, she already knew what kind of service it is, but... she needed to ask. "What kind of service...?" "Your soul of course~ with a beauty like you, then... sex, I want to have sex with you... I haven''t seen a human so pretty in a while, are you a protector?~" The demoness put the menu aside and sat on the chair, her breasts wiggling ever so slightly inside her tight dress. It''s not every time they see customers that looked so ''clean'' because, yes... even with all that blood on her, that''s still clean. Fayette groaned in annoyance, so they even offer this to other females, as expected of demons, they don''t have any constraint. And once again this thing of ''protectors''... "Yes, I''m a protector... and no, I won''t give you any service." That''s all it took for Fayette to shake her head and stand up to leave but the demoness took her hand! "Wait, what if I don''t get your soul? let''s just do it... I won''t take your soul I promise!" The demoness stared at Fayette''s heterochromatic eyes as if infatuated! "I''m taken and I don''t swing that way either..." Fayette shook her arm off and ran out of the shop, she needed to get food for Valentine. The demoness sighed, it''s not every day you see such a human bombshell, the blood on her clothes made her even sexier! Chapter 39 - The Night Starts "UGH." "Please, don''t move too much, you''re still not okay... I wonder... why is it taking you so long to regenerate this time?" Back in the house in their room, Vera tried to place Valentine against the head of the bed, it was difficult to measure the degree of regeneration since the injury was internal, but at least now he could move some of his limbs much better. Valentine sighed a breath out, he is worried about Fayette being outside on her own, that damned demon really did a good one against him, the feeling was weird, as if there were worms moving about inside his body, several of his ribs were broken and pierced his organs. "I think... it has to do with Lucretia... you said she kissed me and took some ''gold stuff'' right? I remember the first time she kissed me, I felt weak as well... it must have something to do with that." Vera took some of the hot towels that she brought from the bathroom and placed them all over his body, perhaps hoping that it would soothe him somehow. "Yes, surely that bitch had anything to do with this, are you feeling better? you don''t feel like throwing up or anything?" She caressed his cheek with concern and he nodded softly, she surely changed a lot after that little conversation. "...why would I?" he doesn''t feel like he got injured on his stomach, it was mostly his lungs that got most of the damage, perhaps he passed out due to the lack of oxygen... or that''s what his brain is trying to simulate. "You... you ate that demon''s brain? why did you do that?" She had been curious about that all this while, sure, they had eaten the cores of the beast as the last resource, they tasted horrible. But this time he took the core straight from the demon''s brain and ate it raw with grey matter included! "I... did what?" He held his head and asked again just to make sure, he doesn''t have any memory of this. "You ate it... Bellcroft''s brain... you don''t remember?" "No... I... after I bisected his neck I almost can''t remember anything else... did I really do that? why...?" He can''t recall anything. None of the two noticed the big runic knife shining slightly. "If you don''t know... anyway, what will we do now, Vale? after what you did...?" "We''re going to escape, now we have some leverage, I don''t know what the fuck a protector is, but it seems to be something important in here... perhaps if we pass as ''protectors'' we might be able to leave this place in a more peaceful manner, we have weapons, we have money just in case... perhaps we''re ready to set off, the problem is, I don''t know if it''s going to be that easy now, but at least, with that show, it should deter most demons from trying to fight us... that bastard was really strong." "That or they''re going to send more Demon Soldiers, Vale..." She thought of this possibility as well. "No, I thought of that, if you see the amount of Demon Soldiers that roam the city, they''re not many... if they want to send the demon soldiers to us whoever it might be, they''re going to weaken their other flanks... regardless of the outcome, it''s going to be profitable for us." He concluded while holding her shoulder, her logic seems to be improving. "Pass me the Rose Thorn..." He motioned her casually. "... ah? the what?" "... the... your knife, pass me the knife." He held his head, how does that name come about? ''Rose Eagle Thorn... why does that name come to my head? could this blade be charmed or something...?'' Vera tilted her head and did as asked, she brought the knife to him. "..." He looked at it for a long time, so far... there is nothing wrong with this knife. The performance was perfect and it cut that demon''s tough skin as if it was tofu. "Vera, I want you to take the knife... it''s yours from now on, but you have to be careful when you wield it, a bad move and it could cut your own hand, understood?" He presented the blade to her and the beauty regarded it for a while. "Are you sure? you want to give it to me, wouldn''t it be better with you?" She assumed that since he''s the strongest in the team, the best weapon should be his, but that''s not the best mindset. The horntail that Fayette got is not a bad weapon, he can do well enough with two of those. "No... I want you to use it to boost your strength, we''re going to get in even more complicated events now and I need you to be in your top condition to assist us, alright? we are a team... I know you''re not a little princess, you know how to fight already... but these demons, they''re no joke... this thing can cut them easily so you should take it, but don''t use it all the time, I don''t want you to get overly reliant on it when we spar in the future, you''re going to use a common knife." "..." With nothing more to say, she took the knife she would be using from now on, and felt a slight shiver go through her hand the moment she took it. As if the ''small sword'' became heavier all of the sudden. ** ** When Valentine saw the bloodied Fayette come through the door, he wanted to curse out loud. "Faye!" Vera was faster than him, she immediately ran to the woman who was carrying several bags of food. Fayette felt how a cannonball impacted against her in the form of Vera who immediately started to check, "Don''t worry Vera, it''s not mine... some bastards drew me into the alleyway and attacked me there... look, they were Onyx..." Fayette closed the door with a lock and placed the chair leaning against the knob just in case, then took out two abyssal black crystals. "Onyx..." Valentine and Vera regarded those crystals, they''re truly different from the ones they have seen so far, the previous ones looked like a piece of very solid charcoal while this one is shinier and slightly bigger. Then they wondered how the crystals inside them look... so far they haven''t seen them. "Nothing really happened, right?" Valentine sighed at the fact that he couldn''t even move to hug her, he doesn''t know how many times he has cursed Bellcroft now. "Yes, honey... don''t worry, I''m okay... I felt like I was being watched all along, but after going through the alleyways I managed to lose them... they, they''re worse than we thought, but demons seem to think it twice before stepping in them." When she recalled the things she saw inside, she felt like throwing out. "That''s okay, come... just lay down." He indicated her to come and lay beside him and she did so after taking away her bloodied clothes to remain just in her underwear with an annoyed expression. She''s still pissed that her clothes got dirty. "I''m going to have to clean them later... come, Vera, we have to discuss what we''re going to do from now on... it''s clear that we can''t remain in this city." Fayette lay softly against Valentine''s lap. "B-But shouldn''t I guard?" She looked at the door that seemed to be tightly secured, but even then, after seeming the strength of that demon, Bellcroft, if one of them wanted to argue in, a fist was more than enough. "Don''t worry, I believe we''re safe for now... come." Fayette patted Valentine''s other side. ... When the three of them lay on the bed, Valentine caressed their silky hairs and thought about what to do next. "We have enough food for several days, I don''t plan to come out until you''re fully regenerated, I''m sure that bitch Lucretia has something to do... she sucked that golden stuff out of you, it must have something to do with your soul... moreover, I know understand why those demonesses offer sex to anyone they see..." "Huh?" "I saw it, in the alleyways... how they have sex with humans and suck their souls like that, sometimes so much that only corpses are left behind... surely, they will regenerate but... how long will it take? by then they might as well just get the crystals and eat them... and most of the times, that''s exactly what happened... the true identity of this city and the netherworld is within the alleyways where no one is looking... there, there are only wails of pain and humans try to kill each other. I was lucky to be close to the hotel and didn''t have to move around much in there." She retold her experiences that could only make the other two feel disgusted. "So you''re saying that what lies outside is just a facade...?" Vera gulped slightly. "Yes, outside, in the main streets, that''s for the demons... the ones that have the money to shelter themselves and enjoy those things... no wonder they think we''re ''protectors''... there are a lot more humans moving through the alleyways than outside of them, and all of them look way worse than what we see in the streets, it''s ridiculous... today I truly saw how hell looks like." She grimaced. Fayette had originally taken that approach because she didn''t know if anyone was following her or not, but now she regrets it. Chapter 40 - Another Day, Another Fight "I want you two to be in guard, I''m going to do a small journey to check up how it''s going outside, the fact that we stayed here for two days and no one has come yet is a good sign." Valentine, now completely healed prepared to depart the room once again. He dressed up and prepared his belt, placing the knives on it. He wants to check how is the situation outside and if possible, get some information, he also had to get another knife since he lost one in the battle against Bellcroft. "Faye, if necessary, use the Rose Thorn, I''ll try to be back here as soon as possible." Readying his gloves he uttered and the blonde nodded solemnly. ... Fayette didn''t even bother to ask why she couldn''t go, the more they are, the higher the risk, and if some demons take the chance and attack Vera here, it will be worse. "Take care..." That''s all the duo said as they prepared to set guard, Valentine took nothing except two horntails, a few cores, an empty backpack and a few coins. It''s not a matter of being powerless, it''s a matter of being efficient, the three of them would only leave together when it was time to leave this city. "Don''t open the door to anybody, alright? I''ll be back soon." Saying those last words he didn''t even take the room''s key lest something happens and anybody comes and uses it to enter it pretending to be him. He made his way through the luxurious hallway, empty as always, he wondered if demons or humans even stayed there to begin with. When he regarded the demon''s face, without words being said, he could realise that something is not right. The demon regarded him as if he was about to reap his soul apart. "Have a good day, dear customer~" Those were probably the kindest words that he received from the demon, regardless of whether they were authentic or not, he knew very well. Rumours spread fast, especially when the ''target'' is staying in the place you''re supposed to take care of. Valentine didn''t bother to answer him and moved on his way, remaining right at the door of the hotel before completely leaving, his gaze roamed around, the three moons were shining pretty brightly outside, looking almost like three moderate suns that shone upon this accursed land. Hundreds of demons walked through and also, a handful of humans, he could feel gazes, from many places, but couldn''t accurately pinpoint any of them. "Has anyone contacted you regarding me recently, demon?" He inquired without turning around, trying as hard as he could to pinpoint who was looking at him but it was difficult when even the ''pedestrians'' threw glances every so often. "Who knows? perhaps?~" The demon smirked and sipped what looked like some kind of beverage from behind the counter "..." ''I don''t know why I bother asking...'' "Are you sure you want to leave those two ladies alone? who knows... something might happen to them~" The demon even dared to show his wicked smile at that moment, but it was time for Valentine to mock. "If you underestimate my companions, the next head to roll will be yours, demon... save your advice for your filthy arse." Those were the bringer of euthanasia''s last words before he finally stepped outside and merged with the crowd of demons. "Hmph... if someone''s head rolls, it won''t be mine... protector." As if he''s stupid enough to attack someone who defeated a Demon Soldier... he isn''t, but someone else might be. ** ** Valentine merged with the crowd of demons, walking with no apparent destiny at first, his gaze was glued to every corner, every sense. Looking for anyone that could possibly be following, he felt gazes, but it could have been paranoia since the situation they were in was rather grim, he needed to make sure of that, and in order to do so... he moved swiftly through the crowd until he arrived at a weapon shop, the same one he had been before, it wasn''t empty but there were barely three customers inside. ''Neither nice nor bad..." He concluded and entered the shop, the orange-skinned short demon from before recognised him and marvelled. "You''re not dead yet?" "...? What do you mean?" The reaper furrowed his brows at the odd question, why wouldn''t he be alive? is he referring to the duel? He thought he''d die after being severely injured? "Nothing... what do you want, brat... speak quickly." The demon immediately disregarded the other human he had been attending, that piece of filth would spend two hundred or a thousand amethyst coins at most, but this boy? he spent more than a million coins in a single trade, who is he going to attend if not him!? "Valentine kept his conversation with the demon, but he was constantly giving a sidelong glance to the door and the windows of the shop even as the other human threw him a venomous gaze and left after being disregarded so blatantly, it''s not an odd visage for humans, to be disregarded. "I want another knife... do you have another one of those? that runic one..." He didn''t utter the name of the blade. "Another one like that? I''m afraid there isn''t any... that''s a special treasure that was found and sold to us through the millenniums, only one exists and we don''t even know what material was used to create it... according to some rumours, it belongs to the circle of lust, so you''d have to look for information there... if you want another knife, however, I have plenty for you, for a modicum price that is." "And do I not get a discount?" Time to bargain, this time cleverly. "What discount brat? don''t you see this shithole? you''re the one that should be giving me money!" The demon yelled and pointed at the shop''s walls and features that were coated with expensive armours and golden plates. ''Humble much?'' "A discount as a protector... that type of discount..." Valentine insisted with furrowed brows as if he was speaking the most serious of things. "The demon''s gaze became solemn at the mention of ''protector''..." "Where is your badge?" The demon demanded something that they should all have. "I lost it in the way here, I was attacked, that''s why I needed new weapons..." Valentine answered, never releasing his threatening visage. "... then which city are you a protector of? or which principality? you can''t just come and say you''re a protector and expect me to believe you just like that... this is hell, everyone knows how to lie here, boy... and I''m starting to feel like you''re one of the top ones in this ''lying'' game..." The demon leaned forward with a smirk his orange slit eyes shining as if trying to decipher Valentine''s every secret. "I''m from Burning Wrath City... now move and show me the knives, I don''t have all day." He gave that name, the only city he knows of aside from Mahogany, the one that Sandmortelle told them of. The demon grimaced at his tonality, in truth he could indeed not believe anyone that just came and said he''s a protector without a badge but... this is a man that killed a Demon Soldier... that''s only something Marquess Protectors are capable of, not even Count Protectors are necessarily able to do so... and if he ended up having a good relationship with one of them, his store might just soar. He walked to the back of the shop and brought three models of knives while Valentine kept his gaze fixed outside, and suddenly without the demon noticing, his lips curled upwards. ... "Burning Wrath City huh... if I remember correctly, there is only one protector assigned to that city, but we can''t be accurate, the information I have of that psychotic lass is several Millenium old... I''ll believe you for now, but the discount will be only ten per cent, understood?" "That''s fine by me, show me what you''ve got." "Well, aside from that runic knife, these are the next three best knives I have, are you sure you don''t want a sword? you might be strong enough to wield one of my powerful ones..." ''I wonder if I should get a spear too?'' The problem is, he can''t kill with his daggers and move swiftly while holding a big spear, so for now, the answer is not. "No... I''m proficient in a double dagger." He regarded the three knives, one of them is the horntail that Fayette took last time. The other two were totally different from one another. One looked like a red bloody ruby moulded into the form of a dagger with a black handle, the blade looked quite sharp. He likes the design. The other is like some kind of treasure that a pussy, pseudo-assassin would use. Too flashy and filled with gems over and over, not something a professional would use as it would take too much attention even when inside a scabbard. "The first one is the horntail you already know, the second one is created from a mineral called ''G-racin'' from the circle of greed, it''s quite expensive but it''s not unique, you might see a fair amount of them on the street, as for the last, it''s a collection treasure, the quality is undisguised... although it looks flashy, it is no doubt at the same level, it is said it used to belong to a Demon Count, that''s not something a human is qualified to hold in his hands, but you can... protector... in case you don''t know since your missus didn''t tell you, the horntail is created with the horn of a special kind of dragon in this circle, to you, the horntail will cost you 400.000 coins, the G-rain will be 600.000 and the ''Treasorix'' will be a million..." "Perfect... how about this... I''m going to leave for a while to get the money and then come back with it and take a G-Rain, is that okay with you?" Valentine curled his lips up in a smile that didn''t look like something nice for the vendor. "I don''t have any problem... take your time, there are customers waiting anyway." He didn''t have any problem, a part of him knows what''s going to happen, after all.... he has also seen the shadows outside. Chapter 41 - Another Day, Another Fight II Valentine wanted to tell the demon to ''loan'' him one of the knives and he would pay it later, but he knows that the bastard isn''t going to accept. He had 30.000 coins on him, but he also had three cores of beasts, hopefully, that should be enough to reach the 600.000 else, he''d have to get a horntail even though he really liked that ''G-Rain'' blade. If not, well... he could always try to steal from the corpses he ''found''. ... Valentine walked through the street until he spotted his ''objective''. He merged through the crowd again, but this time when he reached an alleyway, he entered it, however, he didn''t forget to take one of the cloaked demons by the shoulder and drag him in! !!! "BASTARD!" The purple-skinned cloaked demon immediately gaped and took a knife out of nowhere while inside the alleyway, right at the edge. But Valentine was way faster. *BAAAANGGG!!* He received a kick right on the balls, an elbow to the face as his nice fell, right on Valentine''s hand who slashed it through his eyes. Two shadows flashed through from the street, ready to kill the human scum, they were all cloaked and ready for slaughter! *BAAANGGG!!* Valentine kicked the now blind demon, he wouldn''t be a bother even if he''s not dead. Evaded two consecutive slashes from the demons, he only has one horntail and the two bastards aren''t bad either, he has to finish this fast. Because he knows there are two more to come! *CLAAANG!* *CLAAANG!* "UGGH!! K-KILL HIM! HE IS JUST ONE UGH!!!" He shut up when a kick right on the face blasted him away, prompting the only remaining demon to engage Valentine himself for a brief moment. A brief moment was all he needed. The daggers clung releasing a lot of sparks as Valentine''s eyes moved like lightning catching every single movement and flaw, these demons reminded him of five years service veterans, not too difficult, but time is in high demand, it''s going to become more difficult when the other two enter the alleyway. With only one demon against him, Valentine went to the offensive, evaded one of the knives and quickly punctured the demon''s chest, releasing a wisp of purple blood, and making him grunt in pain but otherwise, keep attacking. He evaded another slash only to notice how the blind demon on the ground held one of his legs, making him sigh in annoyance. After headbutting the demon and getting a great deal of pain in the process, he kicked the blind demon harshly, making him spit blood and coat the filthy alleyway. Sadly, this minimal flaw gave the other demon time to recover and once again they were two against one. Valentine grit his teeth and noticed how two more demons snuck inside the alleyway swiftly, yelling curses at him and he knew it was time for plan B, there is no way he can fight four of them in such a close space. Therefore, he ran, not before sinking his knife on the blind demon''s skull! "BASTARD! YOU WON''T RUN, COME HERE AND BEND THAT ASS!" !!! That shout gave him whatever motivation he needed to kill those filthy beasts, how dare he!? As he ran through the alleyway, he noticed all kinds of atrocities taking place, the filthy, the blood everywhere, it''s disgusting. Demoness and demons abused humans relentlessly, tortured them, molested them, ganged up against them, regardless of whichever is, it''s always humans suffering the wrong end of the stick, he even caught a glimpse of a demon sinking his fingers on a man''s eyes, squashing them as he laughed madly, he didn''t waste the opportunity to run his knife through that demon''s neck to cut his head! But that wasn''t all, he took the head and pushed the body of the man towards the incoming demons that pursued him, making them stumble, then proceeded to throw the head at them too, making two of the three fall! ''CHANGE!'' Seeing such a chance inside this dark netherworld, he wouldn''t let it go, taking advantage of the darkness he sunk his knife right on the skull of the first one, only managing to evade a fist from another one that already recovered however, this one lost his knife as he fell, making it easier for Valentine, right now, there were only two demons left and one of them is unarmed. The slaughter began, but it didn''t go as nicely. When he bisected the neck of the second one, leaving only the last demon, someone took him from behind, trying to restrain him! "COCKY HUMAN, HUH?! TRYING TO KILL DEMONS IN HERE AS IF THIS IS YOUR TURF!" "MIND YOUR BUSINESS, CUNT!" He headbutted the demon behind the head, but the last demon that remained took this chance to sink a knife through his ribs! "TAKE THIS! YOU! HELP ME, I''LL GIVE YOU PLENTY OF SOULS, LET''S ABUSE THIS BASTARD RIGHT HERE! HE MUST BE A BRONZE SOUL AT LEAST!" !!! It would have sounded better if it was a sexy demoness like Lucretia at least, not two grown-ass filthy demons! "FUCK YOU! FUCK... YOU...!!" He took the knife out of his rib, holding the pain back as the other demon tried to recover after his nose was literally obliterated with the headbutt. *PUCHI!* *PUCHI!* "AHHHHHHHH!!!!" His hand itched horribly as he grasped the knife and lounged on the bastard that stabbed him, puncturing his chest many times before swiftly stopping to evade it just in time. The headbutted demon that was naked by the way fell right on top of the stabbed demon, he had the two of them where he wanted them. Valentine took the damned pervert from behind and sliced his neck open, raining blood on the cloaked demon that wailed in pain. "Ahhhh.... Ahhh...." Valentine panted and held his bloodied ribs before taking the corpse of the naked demon from the top of the other one, throwing him away like trash on the filthy alleyway that seemed to be so disgusting that the floor appeared muddy. *PUCH!!!* "AAAAHHHHHHHH!! B-BASTARD!!" He sunk his knife right on the demon''s hand, pinning the other hand above his head. "Who do you work for...?" "FUCK YOU!!" *PUCH!!* "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!" *PUCH!!* *PUCH!!* *PUCH!!* "..." Valentine''s cold gaze remained on the wailing demon as he kept puncturing watever place he could, giving the demon reasons to ''talk''. "Who do you work for...?" "... I''m not... telling you shi- AHAAAAHHAHAHA!!!" *PUCH!!!!* *PUCH!!!!* The next stabbing went through his crotch... and the demon stopped laughing. "Who... do you work for...?" "... L-Lord... Gleipnir..." "Who is Gleipnir...?" He doesn''t recognise his name, in fact, aside from Lucretia and Sandmortelle... he doesn''t know any name of any other demon. "H-He''s... the l-lord... of the east''s soul tax... office... p-please stop..." The demon begged as he saw the knife about to puncture his other ball. "A demon asking for respite... how funny... the last question and I will let you go... what is a ''protector''...?" "They''re... humans... that have formed contracts... with royal demons... depending on the rank of the demon that contracted them... they have their own tiers... that''s all I know..." "Is there any of them here in Mahogany Devilish?" "...N-No... p-protectors are the strongest humans... they''re... difficult to find or qualify... there isn''t any... assigned to this city..." The demon squirmed, if nothing is done he might die here... hoping to leave this place, he answered honestly and Valentine removed the dagger much to his relief, he only needed to leave the city, there is no way Lord Gleipnir is going to forgive him for this failure. "Good, I''ll let you go... into nothingness!" *SLASH!!!* "AHHHHH!!!!" ** ** By the time Valentine came out of the alleyway holding his waist, he had quite the spoil... those five demons had a total of 823.000 coins in them together with several items... such as human fingers... and eyes. Whether they''re used as amulets or snacks, he doesn''t want to know. He took three of their sets of clothes together with their robes and managed to squeeze them inside the bag, they could be useful for later. it seems they were no pushovers, he doesn''t believe any random demon in the streets has this much wealth. ... The undefeated assassin didn''t bother to exchange the cores and went directly to where the vendor was, he wasn''t surprised when he saw Valentine struggling to walk in with bloodied robes, and bloodied with all kinds of colours. Valentine''s appearance called for attention, if it was his own blood, it would be normal, but that''s demon blood. "Give me the G-Rain, quickly..." He presented the 600.000 coins in the form of many cars with numbers in them, he wanted to leave as quickly as possible lest a demon soldier pops out to investigate, there is no way he can defeat a demon soldier while this injured. "Nice hunt, brat... you''re truly surprising, how many did you kill? what a savage." The demon smirked on the counter, Valentine immediately took it and left without saying anything. While he panted, cursing Lucretia for sucking his energy, he glanced to the sides and tried to merge with the crowd onwards to the Hotel, but as he did so... he regarded, two demons soldiers, one in each side of the street! They seemed to be looking for something! "Shit..." His gaze moved quicker now, trying to look for an exit, perhaps he could round the demon soldier? but what if he was spotted? Eventually, his gaze landed in an alleyway, he could make a mental map of where the hotel is... ''That''s the most secure option, if I''m to fight, I''d rather fight a normal demon....'' thinking that he moved through the crowd and entered a dark alleyway, hoping that it would lead him back to the hotel. Chapter 42 - Time To Run Within the majestic palace of the city''s lord, an important meeting was taking place. Unlike before, Marques Warcroft didn''t bother to try his special ''session'' now, he checked more paperwork, one wouldn''t believe that demons knew of the infamous bureaucracy, but guess everything has an origin. In front of him, the blazing green figure of another demon stood. Lord Sandmortelle. "So you''re telling me that he killed a demon soldier in less than ten minutes...?" "Yes, but he got heavily injured in the process." "Even I might be scared of him if he didn''t... is he a protector?" "He isn''t, my marques... He lacked basic knowledge about the Netherworld, moreover... he said he''s the protector from some nearby city but he''s not in the registry... unless he became a protector within the last century, I''m afraid he must have come out of the test..." The demon could only sigh with amazement at the ridiculousness of his words. "The selection test... it will send humans to the most ''peaceful'' of regions according to their rank, right now, our region is one of the most peaceful ones together with the city of Abdalla in the circle of lust... for him to have been selected, Sandmortelle, and those two girls too..." "I told him that I believed him to be bronze, but... I think he might actually be a silver, my marques... but it''s impossible that those two girls are silvers, they will be bronzes at most..." The odds are simply too low. "... all of the protectors have the capacity to kill at least a Demon Soldier." The royal demon denied it. "But he doesn''t have a demon core... I witnessed the fight, his movements were erratic and it was as if he already knew what''s going to happen before it happened, those aren''t characteristics seen in a bronze soul, my marques." "... with five more silvers approximately, I might be able to step into the Demon Earl stage, Sandmortelle... it has been several thousands of years since a silver appeared and it wasn''t even in this circle, are you completely certain?" The matter is so serious that he had to put down the papers that he had been scrutinizing. Demon Earl, as long as he stepped forward on the ladder, his city might stop being as besieged as it currently is, he would be a step closer to ''her'' dream. "I''m not certain, something like this can never be certain, but I''m just saying that he''s too strong to be a mere bronze, that''s all... what are your thoughts?" "Assigning him as my protector, it might be worthwhile..." ''Until the moment comes that I devour his soul.'' !!! "M-My Marques..." "But it won''t be now, just defeating a Demon Soldier is not enough for me to assign him as my protector... he has to prove himself further... I want you to have all of our magistrates and counts who have their eyes on him retreat... make it so that only the pro-violence faction keeps tailing him... but never take your eyes out of him or his girls, if it ever comes to the point where they''re going to capture them... kill them and bring me the crystals, understood?" The demon summarized, growing ecstatic by the second... a silver soul. "Yes, my marques but... what if another Demon Count is involved?" The green demon declared, he had been lying to Valentine back then, just as he''s been lying to everyone except Warcroft. He''s not a Demon Magistrate, he''s a Demon Count! "If it comes to that, just kill them straight away, we can''t gamble it... such a precious soul can''t end up in Sinclair''s hands... since they arrived at my city, it can only be me whose going to get their souls!" Warcroft''s wicked smile revered through the luxurious room as he glanced at the big female sitting in the frame, above the chimney. Sandmortelle frowned and took this cue to depart, releasing a blaze of green fire as he dematerialised. ''It seems god has finally set his gaze on your objective, Sandra... he even sent me a silver soul, I''m but a modicum that shall complete it when the time comes... I promise.'' ** ** When Valentine stepped inside the hotel and walked through the hallway, he immediately knew an event took place and walked faster, he reached the door of their room, the door was so badly damaged that he thought he could kick it down just by spitting on it. "Faye!" "Who is it?!" "It''s me, don''t you recognise my voice!?" "Me who?! Say things clearly, demon!" !!! ''For god''s sake...'' "Valentine!" "Valentine who!? Valentine Dog?! Valentine Cat!? WHAT VALENTINE ARE YOU!?" "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WAGNER! VALENTINE WAGNER!" "AND WHO IS YOUR LOVER!? CHRISTINE OR VALERIA!?" "WHO THE FUCK IS VALERIA!? OPEN THE DAMN DOOR FAYE!" ... There were a few seconds of silence as apparently, Fayette and Vera seemed to be gossiping inside. "Last question... who do you love the most, Vera or me?!" ... It was at that moment that Valentine grit his teeth harshly, ''I''m going to slap that butt so hard...'' "VERA! I LOVE VERA THE MOST!" !!! *BAANG!!* "YOU CHEATING BAS-!" Fayette who just opened the door filled with outrage immediately got embraced and pushed in. Valentine closed the door behind him and locked it. He glanced at Fayette who was covered in blood, but not her blood, purple blood, and then glanced at the direction of the bed where Vera was, holding her bleeding shoulder that was now covered with clothes, perhaps trying to cover it quickly. Three corpses of demons lay on the ground, two of them headless, another one of them with an arrow through his brain. Clearly, it hadn''t been smooth for them at all. "V-Vale..." Vera sighed in relief when he came and the two noticed that he also had his ribs injured. He kissed Fayette''s head and stumbled towards Vera, releasing the backpack on the ground. "I don''t think they will come now... so three attacked here, and five attacked me outside... unless until they are investigated, we will have some breathing time... are you okay, Vera?" It was a stupid question, but he caressed her cheeks and asked. "I''m okay... it''s just a small cut, I wasn''t careful enough." Fayette sighed and sat in front of him, checking his wounds further, "sorry for earlier... the last time those bastards came they... they somehow managed to replicate your voice, thankfully, we didn''t believe it at first." Fayette explained and started to inspect his wound !!! "Replicate my voice!?" "Yes... they came and knocked on the door, then asked to be let in, but it was your voice... through the other side of the door, I furrowed my brows and asked why you were back so soon, it hadn''t even been ten minutes... then ''you'' said that you forgot something and that''s why you came back." She took a towel from a bloodied bucket and moved it through his wound, it''s regenerating faster than before. "Frankly speaking, it was scary... but that demon, despite having your voice for some reason didn''t know a single thing about us." "..." "I asked ''you'' what did you forget, and ''you'' didn''t answer for a while... then you said that you forgot your belt..." She deadpanned at that moment while Vera giggled, truly those demons weren''t the smartest ones. "I told Vera to prepare to fight, the girl decided to go in the front while I took a bow, in close quarters I''d manage to kill one the moment she opened the door. When they saw us not answering they started to kick on the door, realising that we were aware of their ploy and well... afterwards Vera opened the door just when one of them was about to stumble on it, quite skilled of her might I add." Fayette smirked while the Russian beauty evaded his gaze with a blush, obviously embarrassed. "The demon stumbled and I killed him easily with an arrow as you can see, the other two ran in, but Vera easily killed one with that knife... I''m surprised how sharp that thing is." "Yes, it went through like butter..." Vera nodded with a smile and commented. ''And it felt quite good too.'' She added in her mind. Of course, Valentine tested this first-hand against Bellcroft, if it can even cut a Demon Soldier like butter, what are those other demons? hot butter? "And well, the last one was quite easy to kill, I allowed Vera to fight him... it was a full-blown 1v1 and she won easily, the demon tried to defend, but the knife went through his arms and his head... did you like the story?~" "Impressive... let''s start cleaning this out, we''re going to leave tomorrow or the day after, taking advantage of the fact that we just took a team out of our shoulders..." He stood up, they can''t leave the corpses inside the room to rot in here... he was actually surprised that demons don''t revive as humans do... ''I guess we''re the ones that are fated to be tortured eternally, huh?'' When Vera tried to stand up to help, he stopped her. "We will clean, when it''s time to take a bath, I''ll carry you..." "Hmn" She nodded, feeling warm and plopped back on the bed, grimacing slightly at her lack of tact that produced pain on her shoulder. ** ** Valentine and Fayette dragged the bloodied bodies through the hallway and placed them straight in front of the demon that was behind the counter, he could only glance at them with poison in his eyes. "You let them in, you take care fella..." Fayette smirked evilly, daring him to do anything. This demon is weaker than each of these three. In the end, he just sighed and prepared to dispose of the corpses, indeed, he had let them in, he had expected to dispose of three corpses.... but not those three. Chapter 43 - Escape Through The Alleyways "Hmmn..." A suppressed moan coursed through the small cubicle as torrents of blood coated the floor. Valentine pressed his crotch firmly against Fayette''s as they shared the most primal of unions, she panted in lust and covered her mouth, trying to not make too much noise as Vera was laying in the pool, relaxing. They had cleaned her body before placing her in the warm pool and then moved to the cubicle to wash themselves, privately. But Valentine didn''t feel like ''washing'' right now. ... With her glorious butt sticking out and her chest pressed firmly against the wall, Fayette panted heavily, he moved her hair to the side and kissed her cheeks, more like mawed her cheeks... "W-We shouldn''t... V-Vale, you''re injured..." She had tried to stop him with the same strength a child stops an adult, any advance he''d try to pull in that regard was likely something she wasn''t going to ever resist. "This is your punishment for asking nuisance..." He kissed her one last time and without releasing himself, started to clean her body, paying special attention to her breasts. He''s obviously referring to when she asked, ''Who do you love the most?'' Fayette bit her lips, she knew it was something stupid, but she likes to hear him when he says that he loves her the most, it might be vanity but well, that''s how the heart works... still, she wouldn''t apologise nor retort, the blonde just relaxed as she let the warm water soothe her pleasure, ignoring the sloshing feeling of something slimy wrecking through her womb. Something that did nothing but increases her arousal once again. Valentine kissed her luscious neck and moved the soap around her body, noticing how her pink pearls seemed to not intend to go back to sleep. "Hmn~ s-stop! haven''t you had enough?! lewd beast!" She bit her lips and held his hands in place... rather than moving him away, it seemed as if she was encouraging him to continue! "So I am the lewd beast? It''s not my nipples that are seeking attention though... how about we play a game?~" He pinched harder much to her annoyance or pleasure. "No!" Obviously she denied, not because she didn''t want to, she just wanted to spite him, perhaps intending to have him ravage her a little more due to his outrage. Yes, Fayette Blanchet will never admit that she ''wants it''. She will always get it using a roundabout manner. Alas, rabbit meet carrot. "No? but I always accept to play your games, now you don''t want to play mine?" "Your games are lewd and b-boring!" "... but your body doesn''t seem to be against it." He retreated a little and gave a sharp thrust in! "V-Valentine Wagner... hmn~ we''re fugitives with demons trying to kill us!" She tried to play the logic, but her big toned butt started to hump and clash against his crotch slowly. Producing a soothing and delightful slapping noise, one that hopefully wasn''t too loud for the girl in the pool to hear. "Really? it''s curious that your body doesn''t comprehend that~" "N-No matter, what I say, you''re not going to stop, right?" This handsome bastard always has a counterargument, as his girlfriend, she had to feel ashamed... this perhaps this is the only male in the entire existence that knows how to counter a woman in an argument, and it had to be her boyfriend, how lucky she is... "No~" "T-Then just carry on and do what you want... but do it slowly..." Sighing in resignation she bent down and spread her legs a bit, giving him easier access to her precious garden. Alas... "But you make it look like you don''t want this, Faye... I don''t like that." He stopped his movements with a wicked smile, punishment has to be real, otherwise, won''t she seek this punishment on her own accord? "You just want an argument at this poi- HMN!~" She turned around again to scold him only to get her lips sealed and her nethers filled with a sharp thrust that pushed her against the wall. The piston resumed and so did the pleasure within her mind and body, she loved this. ... While all these occurrences took place in the cubicle, Vera blushed slightly and turned her head away, feeling a little aggrieved, one of her hands went discretely into her crotch. ''I can see your feet, you know?'' ** ** After they were ready, the three of them swiftly departed the bathroom and went back to the main room. For that night, Valentine set guard while Vera and Fayette slept, they could no longer afford to sleep together with the door in such a bad state and being actively hunted down. He wanted Vera to be totally recovered before they set off. The next day he slept through the morning and afternoon while Fayette and Vera guarded, recalling their moments through the forest when the rain of fire fell upon them. When he woke up, fully recovered, it was time to go on their paths. "I took these away from the people that followed me, use them and put everything else in the bags, perhaps with this we will be able to merge better within the darkness." He took out the three pieces of clothes that he took from the three demons that followed them, they were fairly expensive pieces of attire, dark in colour with cloaks, if they dressed like them, it might be better. The girls changed, noticing that the clothes weren''t too comfortable and a little bit, except for Fayette in the chest department. She didn''t get mocked for this. They each took their equipment with Fayette taking the bow for long-range as she had faith in Vera and Valentine to take care of everything close quarters, she had twenty arrows, and these arrows were quite high-quality, so long as she took them from the corpses, she''d be able to reuse them again. "If we''re engaged upon departure, I''ll give orders... if there is a demon soldier I want you to retreat to the hotel, Vera..." "Hmn." She nodded, a little reluctant but aware that she wouldn''t be of much help against such a foe. "Let''s go!" ** ** When the trio walked through the hallway, the demon at the back of the counter wasn''t there, he usually stays there for a period of time and then, he leaves. Valentine glanced at the dark streets that only received a very shallow light from the three moons, the red sky seemed to look bloodier than usual. His only regret is that he can''t take the money back for the rest of the days that they''re not gonna use this hotel. ... He raised his fist, the streets aren''t desolated but there are way fewer demons than usual. None of them staring their way. "Onwards..." He whispered and moved outside, knives in hand. Once they departed the gates of the hotel, they were now in the wild. Fayette who had a certain degree of knowledge regarding the streets and the path they had to take, moved ahead, followed by Vera as they headed to the closest alleyway, even if there weren''t any enemies so far, he wouldn''t risk it and take the ''avenue''. The confident walk stopped right before they entered the alleyway, however. *FIIIUUSH!!!* An arrow flew through the void and impacted the wall beside Valentine! !!! Those demons came out of nowhere and two of them surprised Fayette at the entrance! "Run!" They all grit their teeth, it''s really an ambush! Even before Fayette could take out the bow and point it at the demon, Vera''s rose thorn was already bisecting the demon! ''I WON''T BE USELESS ANYMORE!'' *SLAASH!!!* Valentine blocked a heavy object that came his way but his eyes glared at the Demon Soldier coming at the distance! "Faye! Take Vera inside the alleyway!" They couldn''t afford to engage against a Demon Soldier at this juncture, time is at a stake. *FIIIUSSH!!* "Okay!" Now with an arrow in hand, Fayette shot the other demon that remained before she ran through the alleyway together with Vera. Valentine saw how an arrow came his way and impacted right between the two eyes of the demon that had engaged him. The ground thumped loudly with every step the Demon Soldier took! "GIVE ME YOUR SOUL!" Valentine didn''t have time to waste, he took the arrow and ran straight into the alleyway, pursuing Vera and Fayette. This night has just started! ** ** "Quickly, pursue them! they must be heading to the southern gate!" The Demon Soldier, a bulky being with blue skin and a big broadsword, immediately gave his other to the remaining two demons, he had to grit his teeth. ''Those bastards are truly skilled, they killed three demons in less than two minutes, and you''re telling me they''re not protectors?!'' Be it as it may, it didn''t matter, he ran inside the alleyway and pursued them while the demons took a ''roundabout'' heading to the southern gate. Tonight they had to hunt this bronze soul no matter what, otherwise, Lord Gleipnir would have their heads roll. Chapter 44 - The Darkness Reeks To Blood The frantic noise of steps was the only thing that could be heard as a group of cloaked figures desperately ran through the alleyways. With nimble steps, Vera made her way through the darkness, careful of any wisp of light she would get, sometimes, she''d regret that light as the darkness it portrayed was beyond her wildest imaginations. Wails of pained souls, despair. As she ran daggers in hand, she caught a glimpse of two red eyes that flashed through the darkness, a demon with a sword lounging at her! *WOOSH!!* *PUCHI!!* A trusty arrow moved at breakneck speeds through the darkness and impacted right through the demon''s skull, it even emitted the gruesome noise of the skull tearing apart. "Don''t stop!!" Vera grit her teeth and took the arrow from the fallen demon''s head as she continued running together with Fayette, the latter only had seven arrows remaining with two of them being in Vera''s possession. They have been running nonstop, as of now, she doesn''t even know where they are, fuck the plan... they just ran as demons kept flopping from all around, some of them were the ones that were in their pursuit, the others... just the greenhorns that saw some tasty humans to torture. As they ran, Fayette prepared her next arrow as she grit her teeth, Valentine is not behind them. But she trusts he''s okay. The two ladies reached a momentary stop when they came upon a cross street, the ground itself seemed to be muddy, but they know better, this is not mud... "Where to?!" "..." Fayette didn''t know where to go, while fending off the upcoming demons with arrows and daggers, she had lost the directions, but she could roughly guess where the main street should be, to the right. Therefore... "Wait a moment... if we see any demon... take the left..." She turned around to glare at the dark alleyway they came from that only got a wisp of moonlight. Nothing''s coming... no demons, no Valentine... Vera covered Fayette''s back and watched out for the other three paths in case anything popped out. ... They waited and waited until they heard the noise of footsteps! !!! Fayette raised her bow, ready to shoot the moment she saw two horns or purple skin. *THUMP!* *THUMP!* *THUMP!* The heavy footsteps of a big thing resonated through the corridor as Fayette furrowed her brows, should they run!? But then Valentine ran out, with a cloak covered in blood! "Take the left, quickly, I''ll catch up, don''t take any other interception!" !!! They did so, but rather than follow them, the bringer of euthanasia kept moving up front! "GIVE ME YOUR SOUL, BASTARD!" The heavy demon soldier appeared through the darkness with a great hammer and a gaping wound right through his chest, he followed the blurry figure of the person that ran to the front! *THUMP!* *THUMP!* *THUMP!* .... Valentine ran through the dark corridors that became progressively narrow. ''That demon is fat and slow... he''s way slower than Bellcroft, moreover... his weapon is blunt... I can do it.'' Not only he can do it, but this is also the best place to do it. Therefore, he came to a stop right at the place where the alleyway became narrow enough, crouched down in the darkness and waited, feeling repulsed at the horrid smell, but... he had been through worse. ... *THUMP!* *THUMP!* *THUMP!* The demon arrived shortly after, but just as Valentine''s expected, his eyes aren''t like those of humans. Valentine didn''t wait for the gigantic hammer to crush his body. "WHAT? DO YOU THINK I CAN''T SEE YOU!?" *WWOOOSHH!!* He immediately lunged with his two knives in hand, right towards the demon''s legs that had the knees uncovered. *BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!------------- "AAAAAHHHHHH!!!*--------" The Ruby knife went through the bone, not like butter, it took effort compared to the Red Thorn, but it pierced! A loud banging noise followed by a cloud of dust covered the entire alleyway when the hammer impacted right where Valentine had been. Not slow at all, but way slower compared to Bellcroft. The reaper''s barrage was far from finished. As the demon yelled in pain and hunched down, yet another piercing pain rocketed his demonic brain, this time, a gaping wound yet again on his uncovered chest. *WOOOOSH!!* The demon retaliated with a fist, letting go of the slow hammer that made him lose in the agile battle against this disgusting human, but Valentine''s fiery eyes saw that coming from miles away, he evaded it and used the momentum to kick the wall and reach a higher place. *SLASSH!!* *SPLURT!* The neck! This exchange continued for several minutes, Valentine kept slashing the demon''s skin as if he was a pig in the slaughterhouse while evading the demon''s retaliation that progressively became slower. The neck, the eye, an arm... Eventually, he had to stop, and that was the moment Valentine''s entire arm went through the demon''s eyesocket to extract the brain! *CRUNCH!* The noise of the optic nerve being torn apart from the brain resonated through the relatively silent accursed alleyway, portraying a scene no less grotesque than what it had already been through today, but no doubt... this alleyway hadn''t seen a demon soldier being so mercilessly slaughtered amidst its corners in a long time. After throwing the eye away, Valentine once again invaded the dizzy demon''s eye socket, but rather than extracting the brain, he directly pierced the grey matter to take out a stone. A shiny red stone much like the one Bellcroft had... *BOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!----- The demon''s body fell down like a piece of trash, utterly powerless and lacking the primal life. A Demon Soldier is gone just like that. The reaper''s gaze remained in the red palpitating core... but he shook his head and stored it. Had he eaten one of those before? It''s hard to believe, it looks grotesque and disgusting... not much different than eating actual dumps from dogs. He searched for the demon soldier''s body and marvelled to find a total of five hundred thousand amethyst coins divided into different cards with different numbers in them. Aside from that, there were... miscellaneous... such as human and demon''s eyes... with different colours, pierced and turned into a collar. ''Disgusting!'' Leaving the filthy demon''s corpse to rot, or worse, be devoured... he went on his way. The bloodied reaper walked through the dark alleyways shrouded in blood, regarding the ruby knife. It''s not as good as the Rose Eagle Thorn but it will do. ''There is nothing better than the Rose Thorn...'' ** ** For the entire while, Vera and Fayette encountered three more demons, casual ones that had been torturing some humans. "Thank you..." they heard one of them say, a man... he was naked with scratches all over his body. "No need to thank, go on your way." Fayette said coldly, not even bothered to keep addressing this fellow, the other one, a man on his thirties said something else. "!$!&¡¤%&%/"¡¤!" ???? "What did you say?" Vera thought she hard wrong. "He''s not from this circle, you won''t understand him..." The man from before said as he prepared to flee, these girls don''t look like pushovers, look at the size of that knife! "What do you mean?" Vera and Fayette didn''t get it, but the blonde had indeed met such a scenario before when she was attacked, different circle? "As repayment for having saved me from that bastard... I will tell you this piece... I thought you were all experienced but it doesn''t look like it... the netherworld has different circles depending on the sin that you committed... and we can''t understand each other... no matter how much we try." !!! "What other circles do you know? is it the same from Dante''s Inferno...?" Fayette had naturally recognised the word ''circle'' it''s a fairly well-known book on the Earth from the famous Dante. "Dante? who is that...? anyway... I only know the circle of wrath we''re in... and also, the circle of Envy and Lust... who knows where this poor bastard is from." The man said at last before departing ''Envy...? there is no such a circle in the book...'' but still, the correlation with the book is undeniable, however, that might also be subjective to the bible''s interpretation... those are, after all, common sins. Seeing that communication was impossible, the other man departed too, whether he had a destination or not, the girls didn''t know... the two ladies were left in this small corner to wait for Valentine''s return. Vera handed Fayette her arrows as the two made themselves small and prepared in case a demon prepared to test his or her luck. ** ** The bloody reaper appeared with his two daggers shortly after, receiving a hug from Fayette. "I never doubted..." She hugged him, not caring about the disgusting smell that permeated from him, she''s not lying, she never doubted he''d be okay, but that doesn''t mean she wasn''t worried. In this accursed place one never knows, she''d be more confident in sending him in deployment to the middle-east than half an hour in these alleyways. Vera also took his hand, a little more restrained and smiled, she too had been confident in her success, in fact, she felt proud of herself and her performance tonight, despite the despairing situation they were placed in, she had remained calm and assertive unlike the beginning for her journey when she would struggle to kill even a mutated wolf. This sharp rose thorn also gave her confidence. Valentine also embraced the two of them and kissed their foreheads, that had been a quite hectic situation, but...they made it... they lost those demons, but this is just half of the entire thing, now... "Do you know where we are?" They''re supposed to head to the southern gate, but right now he doesn''t know if this is north, south, east, west, drunk or not... "I have no idea... but I think the main street is the other way around, do you want to explore, now that we lost them, we''re in a better position, I don''t think they have as much control of the city in the alleyways as they do outside." She asserted mainly due to the number of rogue demons and humans that were in here, whoever this organisation or group is, they mostly take action in the middle of the city. "I don''t know if this works but... I recall that the three moons were to the ''north'' the first time we entered the gates, perhaps... if we use them as a guide, it might work just like the Earth?" Vera suggested, the problem is, those moons move as well, they''re not always in the same position. So erratically in fact, that Valentine doubts they''re actual moons, they might be more than just lights shining high above the sky. The ex-commander and the ex-assassin didn''t even want to begin to think about astronomical and geologic implications of this netherworld, it is just a free headache they don''t want. "Where do you think we should go, Vera?" He asked and Fayette lifted up her eyebrows slightly before glancing at the Russian beauty. !!! ''W-Why are you asking me?!'' She understood that they wanted to take her input into consideration. "I''d keep going down this way... away from the direction those demons came from... moreover, I''d also run in the direction those guys from before went to... they must have lived here longer than us, and if they consider that direction safe... then I''d rather meet humans than demons." She gulped slightly and gave her opinion, hoping to not have made a fool of herself. "That''s a good idea, let''s do that... what guys is she referring to, Faye?" Valentine asked after considering her input. "Some poor fools that we saved from being tortured... you see them?" She pointed at the demon corpses that were either bisected or had their heads crushed. "They were abusing some humans and torturing them... it seems like that ''abounds'' here... and indeed, like Vera said they headed that way." She pointed to the continuation of the alleyway they currently were. "Furthermore, Vale... one of those guys gave a valuable piece of information." The blonde started to tell him the details about the ''language exchange''. Chapter 45 - Cursed Alleys "So that''s how it is, this hell is becoming more and more mysterious... but it doesn''t matter, right now we have to focus on the task at hand" Within the darkness of the night, the trio moved nimbly through the alleyways that represented humanity''s ''freedom''. In this place, there is no moral. ** ** *PUCHI!* *PUCHI!* The three had reached a deadlock, with nowhere to go and only more and more alleyways to move through, they were lost. *PUCHI!* *PUCHI!* The noise of metal stabbing flesh resonated through the misty alleyway, the sickening smell of rotting blood permeated as they walked, getting their feet progressively more ''stuck'' in whatever was there on the ground. They couldn''t see, it felt like mud. At some point, they reached a pair of figures to the front. A pair of horns became visible as they saw how a demoness was furiously mounting a man, while also stabbing the man''s head relentlessly! !!!! "AAHHHH!! L-LET ME GOO!!!!" "YES! M-MORE!! DON''T STOP!!" ... "..." Valentine, Fayette and Vera looked at one another with what could only resemble a combination between disgust and shock. "!!!" The demoness stopped her movement, leaving the knife or whatever that thing was, deeply stuck inside the poor bastard''s head. Her red eyes turned to the trio and her gaze moved like lightning through their bodies, especially Valentine''s, when she saw the weapons... whatever intent she had of abusing the latter disappeared, replaced with a degree of curiosity and desire. Because these obviously don''t look like ''carbons''. They must be Onyx. "I mind my own business, you do yours... if you attack, I will scream." those were the only words she said to the trio before her hips started to move again, sucking the soul out of her prey, feeling the ecstasy of that despairing soul, those wails. But even as she did these, her gaze never moved away from the trio. The three seemed to reach a consensus, indeed, that sounds like a nice deal, therefore Valentine nodded and the three moved on their own way... "H-Help! Help me!!" "SHUT UP!!" *PUCH!!* "AAHHHH!!!" With the wailing noises of the bastard permeating through the misty alley, they moved, they''re no saviours and this is hell, that man is paying for what he did, whatever it might have been. "This place is just... ridiculous and massive, we have walked so much and not only hasn''t the moons showed themselves, we don''t seem to reach any of the main streets, should we head the other way?" Vera asked, not tired at all but she started to think this walking is hopeless, they were heading nowhere, in fact, they might be heading farther from the southern gate. Fayette''s gaze had been focused on every single detail, any possible signal there might have been, but there is nothing... Valentine too wondered, why does this place look like it''s never going to end? his gaze moved to the skies, there is no moon, the buildings reached far above them enough for only a small wisp of the skies to be seen. But these buildings have no doors, or windows, they''re just walls, it doesn''t make sense... as much as he tries to scheme within his mind the structure of those walls, he just can''t do it, this looks more like a maze than anything else... but then, why was he able to come back the last time? "I think this place is like the forest Vale..." "...?" The thought alone didn''t sound reassuring, not only that but the circumstances are different, one thing is to be in an endless forest, the other is to be in an endless city. For some reason, the latter makes even less sense. "We''re going nowhere, we''re just finding people being tortured, demons killing each other... no matter how much we walk, there is nothing... we should have found the main road by now if we''re heading straight." Not only that but it''s as if the smell is getting worse and worse. If before they intended to follow the trails left behind by the other bastards, now they have no idea of where they are. "Let''s just keep walking, so long as we don''t meet any demon soldier we will be okay..." Valentine asserted, indeed, it had to end sometime, and if it didn''t... they have already been through this, they will find a way. "I think we should ask someone... that demoness from before..." Vera suggested anyone who could give a hint, it would be something... "She said that she''d shout if we did anything... don''t you think that''s stupid?" Fayette placed her delicate finger on her red lips, wondering out loudly... thinking about everything that has happened so far to draw a conclusion. "Why?" The duo asked as they didn''t even bother to give another step forward, they just stood where they were, barely able to see each other''s expressions. "Look at the place we are, sure, we''re finding people and demons every so often but... it''s not to the point that her shouts would be heard... do you think she deceived us somehow?" "..." "Let''s go back and see if we can find her, we can threaten her to speak... she''s a demoness, surely she will know the direction." With nothing more to do, they tried to seek that demoness from before, she should be three turns away from them. ... She''s nowhere to be seen. "Fuck..." Fayette laughed a little with mockery, mockery at the current situation they''re in. "Now there is no doubt, something is going on with these alleyways" Valentine concluded, not only they didn''t find the woman, but they also didn''t find a corpse or anything... "She wouldn''t leave and take a corpse with her... and if she took the crystal, then the corpse would be left behind... this is not the place we came from at all." Before Vera could ask why... Fayette uttered the reason out loud. "Leave marks on the walls, Faye, leave some marks." Valentine grit his teeth and uttered. They took out their knife and scratched the walls, it was difficult to see as they could barely see each other''s faces, but if they touched it, it''s possible to feel it. "Keep scratching the wall all the way through three intersections." He commanded and the two understood his intention, as ridiculous and ominous as it felt. It''s something that they have to do. ** ** Panic, or better said, cautiousness. They walked through three intersections, and this time they made sure to only give right turns. And that''s precisely why everything became so stupid and ridiculous. Valentine said three turns but they actually went farther to make a fourth one... by logic, they should have arrived at where they were, even if the alleyways don''t have the same length... And there were no marks... none at all. They''re walking in circles, as if literally in circles, and the moment they depart an intersection, they''re no longer in the same place. "For god''s sake... what do we do?" Even Vera the ''slowest'' of the three, could tell what kind of predicament they''re in. Surely one can''t be any more lost than this. Ridiculous, they passed from wishing they didn''t meet any demon soldier, to desiring anyone could appear just so they could ask them how to get the hell out of here! "Do you think if we do the same thing with the fire, will it work?" "We don''t have a way to prepare fire here..." Valentine racked his brain thinking about what they could do, perhaps just stay here until it became the day? but with the number of hours they have been walking, it should have been the day already. As they discussed while leaning through the walls, Fayette sensed something that the three of them seemed to not have noticed. "The ground is no longer muddy..." ... Silence, the three of them made silence as the conclusion of Fayette''s preposition dawned upon them, seemingly not important, but it''s a detail that was oblivious to them mainly because they had paid more attention to whatever little detail they could see in this hazy darkness, than what they could feel. The smell is still as disgusting as before. Amidst the silence, the noise of some ''bushes'' moving permeated through, and that was the moment Valentine thought something is not right. What ''bush'' is going to move here!? "Be alert..." he whispered, not intending to move until a threat became apparent. Fayette leaned against the wall and prepared her arrows, feeling the slightly bumpy surface. Wait... bumpy? !!! "!%"$¡¤&$/&(/%(&¡¤$%/[¡¤!!!" A naked man came out from one of the sides of the alleyways, the side they came from, his figure became apparent amidst the misty place, they had to furrow they brows deeply to regard him and Valentine, who saw him running towards them, immediately prepared to strike. But the man, now more than clear that he belongs to another circle, didn''t even pay attention to them! "¡¤%&$/%&((%!" "..." "V-Vale, what do we do? he''s running from something..." Vera''s lips shivered, one doesn''t have to be a rocket scientist to know what this implies, either a demon is coming... or perhaps it''s something worse. "Run! follow him!" Valentine wouldn''t risk it, if it''s a demon soldier, this darkness is the worst possible place to fight him. Therefore, they ran, but at that moment... ''something'' latched against Vera''s leg! !!! "AAAAHH!!* *THUD!!* The woman fell face-first against the ground! "VERA!!" Chapter 46 - Mahogany Devilish City "AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Wails of surprise and fear revered through the cursed misty alleyway, she hadn''t expected that she''d fall so swiftly, out of nowhere. The moment Vera''s face hit the ground, her nose gave way and broke like the most fragile of crystals, but the panic of the situation didn''t give her the leisure to think of this. Something is tightly grasping her leg, so tight in fact she feels as though it''s sinking in her flesh! "VERA!!" The two of them immediately ran towards Vera that seemed to be getting pulled! "CUT THE ROPE FAYE!" Valentine put his weapons away and took both of Vera''s arms, pulling her harshly, but as he was doing that he realised when his hand touched the ground. It''s a plant! "F-FAYE! H-HELP!" With her life in the line like this, Vera panicked. "GET YOURSELF TOGETHER VERA! TRUST US!" Valentine yelled, pulling as hard as she could while kicking what seemed to be ''branches''. Vera bit her lips so hard that they bled, enough pain to have her bearings be back to they belonged, she took the Rose Thorn and started to swing it carefully, hitting several things that seemed to be trying to entangle her, but even then the blade wasn''t cutting the branches! Fayette jumped with her knife in hand after putting her bow away, she panted at the nervousness of the whole thing, she was about to see what was holding Vera down when suddenly, they heard it. *BOOMMM!* *BOOOMM!* Heavy, bulky... terrifying. A creature peeped out of the mist, moving slowly... eerily. It had no eyes, frankly, it looked like a moving tree with more than a dozen limbs, it held against the buildings and its ''limbs'' stuck into them as if spreading its roots. ''Run, we have to run!!'' Fayette''s survival instincts triggered as if she just saw an entire corp of terrorists going coming with AKs. Paradoxically, only Vera whose leg was being crushed, had the luck to not ''regard'' the monster that''s surely desiring to slaughter, devour... or whatever the hell it wants to do with them! She took out her knife and started to try to cut the root while Valentine pulled with all his strength, not noticing how one of the branches entangled against his hand until the crushing strength started to break his bones! "UGH!! F-FUCK! FAYETTE!!!" Valentine pulled Vera''s arms to the point he felt he was going to tear them out of her body, at some point he even used the branches beneath as a support He wanted to tell the blonde to run, the situation is not looking good... whatever that thing down there is... it''s bigger and way more gruesome than any demon soldier he could have possibly faced, it looked like a force of nature that wanted nothing but to swallow them within its branches. However, he knows Fayette is not going to run, so the three of them can only do whatever they can to get out of this. "LET ME DO IT!!" With Vera''s shouts almost covering the entire background, she yelled only to notice that no matter how much she tried, she couldn''t cut those roots. "AAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Several bones of Vera''s leg broke when the branch pulled harder, tearing her flesh apart and it even felt as if the branch had thorns! The creature kept approaching and several branches were trying to crawl up her body, she had to constantly evade them and move, with a fire permeating in her heterochromatic eyes, she had to make a decision. ''I''m sorry!'' There is only one possible way to solve this in the fastest and most efficient way possible. Without even asking for permission she took Vera''s Rose Thorn, and bit her lips harshly before swinging it down! *SLASH!!* !!!!!! "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Flesh tore open cleanly, giving way to torrents of blood and wails of despair as Vera''s slender leg liberated from their ''root''. The pain spread through her entire body like a wave, reaching her brain and making the yells impact right in front of Valentine who after she got released, fell on his back. "TAKE HER AND RUN!" He yelled immediately and Fayette didn''t waste time, she immediately prepared to take Vera, there is no time, she didn''t even get the chance to yell at Valentine to look at his hand when the latter took his ruby knife and cut his own hand down! "UGH!" With such bad luck that the whole cartilage wasn''t cut clean, leaving a piece of hand hanging! The two of them stood up while kicking the branches that tried to strangle them, the moment they were caught... it''s done. The two of them hurriedly started to run, crawl... they would do anything to get away from the monster as fast as they could! *BOOM!!* *BOOM!!* "LET''S... GO... DON''T LOOK BACK AND BE CAREFUL WITH THE BRANCHES..." With Fayette running to the front while carrying Vera, he ran back, ready to counter any attack that would come from this beast... Lucky for them, it wasn''t fast and kept moving slowly, progressively ''devouring'' the entire alleyway within its branches, condemning anything that stood in between. What remained from the previous security they had in their own skills was a degree of unprecedented despair, this is not going how they planned in the slightest. This is hell... problems can''t always be tackled with just strength, they got confident and they paid for it. "LET''S GO! DON''T DELAY!!" ** ** *CHAAA!!* Unlike most days in the Mahogany Devilish City, tonight seemed to be a little, peculiar... for one it was raining and lightning strikes marred the cloudy sky. The water was warm not the usually refreshing drizzle that the lucky souls can get back in the earth, this is warm black water. It is, however, a lot more appreciated than a constant rain of fire and ashes. ... With the wailing noises of the souls inside the chimney, another important meeting took place within this accursed city. "My lord... they''re inside the alleyways..." One of the demons that survived the killing spree that took place in front of the hotel, quickly rushed back to his lord''s office to report the incidents. It''s no other than the demon butler, Zagato. He had been tasked to dispatch a team to hunt the human that destroyed Bellcroft''s arse, and he did... to some extent. As for how he survived? he''s obviously not going to be involved in the hunt against a human that''s said to have killed a Demon Soldier, it didn''t matter how much the ''bronze soul'' argument tests his inner desires. Any common demon would literally kill for a soul, let alone a bronze soul. But Zagato hasn''t lived millenniums for the sake of peanuts. ... "What?! this late!?" The moment he heard the word ''alleyway'' he already knew that things weren''t going as planned. "Yes... they entered at night, m-my lord... and the soldier Zellen entered together with them, so he''s trapped as well, the night has already started..." The demon reported, wondering how the demon soldier had been so stupid to enter the alleyways when the ''night'' was about to begin. That''s the degree of enticement a bronze soul has on a demon. *CRUNCH!!* "..." Gleipnir clenched his hands harshly against the desk harshly, obviously destroying it in the process." Two demon soldiers... To him, Zellen is as good as dead. He''s not stronger or faster than Bellcroft, which means that in a fight against that human if only the two of them, he''s likely to lose a way worse defeat. ... As the whole event took place, within the tax lord''s office, the Demon Magistrate, Lord Gleipnir, heard the report that came from the butter, Zagato. He hadn''t expected those greenhorns to be so reckless, could it be that they''re not aware? "He wasn''t the brightest one... we have no way to know if they''re even going to come out... send some agents to the gates all over the city, if they appear... it doesn''t matter if it takes a century or a Millenium... I want to know!" "Yes, my lord." The butter rejoiced that perhaps he would have a couple of centuries or perhaps, longer than that. ... The green-skinned demon lifted up from his bony throne and walked to the window where the three majestic moons could be seen within the myriad bloody skies. "This city is called, Mahogany Devilish for a reason... what a pity, but it''s a bronze soul, even if I have to wait for a millennium, it''s still worth it as long as I get to him first..." "If they manage to survive that is..." Upset about the fact that such a prey flew his grasp, Gleipnir left the room, heading towards his other ''office''. ... Mahogany Devilish City has existed within the underworld for countless aeons, torturing the souls of the wicked that happen to be unlucky enough to be ''selected'' into this realm. Demon Marquesses had gone and come through the years, but the alleyways remain, and they shall remain for as long as there are evil souls from humans to fall in there and feed it further. Across the never-ending stretch of time. Chapter 47 - Torture Beyond Measure The bringer of Euthanasia hadn''t perceived or felt such a degree of anxiety for a long time, straight across ran Fayette who frantically carried Vera in her arms, the girl had already suffered these kinds of wounds before in the forest, but it still wouldn''t have her used to this excruciating and searing torture, not only that, but she wailed every so often when she could feel some pulsating feeling coming from the bloody flesh. "UGHHH!!!" It was as if someone was relentlessly touching the flesh with a burning log, torturing her slowly, burning her into oblivion. And she wasn''t the only one, Valentine''s hand was also burning like this, but there is no time to think about pain, a gigantic monster, as horrible as those from terror movies is coming right behind them! "Keep running Faye, don''t stop!" "You don''t need to tell me!" Fayette pressed Vera against her body tightly, careful to not drop her, myriad thoughts ran through her mind. ''What is this?!'' ''How did we end up in this situation?!'' ''What is that thing!?'' ''What do we do now!?'' The thoughts wouldn''t stop approaching her mind and coming like a cascade of eerieness that she struggled to evade, focusing on her footsteps and paying attention to any possible vine that could entangle around her feet. ... "I don''t see anything, we have left that thing behind, keep going..." Thankfully that creature isn''t fast by any means, they''re faster than it just by running. "There is an intersection, where should we go?!" The blonde beauty came to a stop as they found themselves in front of three intersections. Valentine noticed that through those shadowy alleyways, there were three of them that were quite misty, to the point it even looked as if there was fire coming from the other side. "Faye, take the right!" He pointed towards the only intersection that didn''t have that mist, for some reason, he believed that one had anything to do with the burning feeling in his arm, perhaps it is one of that tree''s characteristics. "Okay." Fayette nodded, she also had the same thought, pulling up Vera into a better position, the three of them ran inside the alleyway that lacked any mist. ... And right at that moment... they knew what the appearance of authentic despair is. "AAAHHHH!!!" "RUUNNN!!" "!¡¤%$¡¤&(%!!" "W-WAIT! DON''T STEP ON ME!!" "UGGHH!! UWAAAA!!!" !!!! As if they suddenly had been teleported into the middle of a chaotic zone of war, they were literally crushed in between the ropes of people that were running away from whatever was behind them! ''WHAT IS GOING ON!?'' "F-FAYE- KEEP! RUNN *COUGH!*" Valentine had been running, but the moment some literally headbutted him by mistake, he could do nothing but stutter. "UGH!!" Crushed by people with Vera in her hands, Fayette was having it a lot worse. "FAYE, GET TO THE WALL!" Valentine shouted, struggling to get closer to them as the people kept wailing and running, he could feel the vines of the accursed tree moving through his feet as the people stumbled one after the other! "HELP ME!! HELP-- UGH!" The person that just fell right beside him, had to shut up when someone literally stepped on his head, prompting him to cut down his own tongue! Fayette had already thought of that, going against the wall would make it more difficult for them to fall, however, she didn''t even have time to execute her idea... when three people literally bumped against her, that, together with Vera''s weight and the backpack she was carrying... were enough to immediately send her to the ground! "V-Vale! UGH!" She shouted, knowing that shit had just hit the fan and survival would turn to be even more difficult, someone directly kicked her face prompting several teeth and blood to come out of her delicate mouth at that moment as she struggled to place herself on top of Vera to protect her. "FAYE!!" Valentine moved his gaze back only to see the ropes of people coming through as far into the distance, that accursed tree could be seen, just what exactly is this place!? It''s hell... Forsaking to run, he threw himself where Fayette and Vera were laying, rejoicing at the fact that he could reach them as the swarms of people pulled him forward against his will. "S-STAND UP FAYE!" He held his ground with burning eyes, placing his arms at either side of them as people literally stumbled against his body and fell face forward, it''s done... they''re going to die here... or worse. The vines continued to rush forth and take people after people, making them fall into their eternal torture of a fate. There were literally more people than vines in this corridor, Valentine took one of Fayette''s metallic arrows and tried to get rid of whatever vine wanted to get funny. *PUM!* *PUM!* "VALENTINE! YOU RUN!!" Fayette was progressively losing hope as the heavy steps of the creature became closer and stronger. Signifying their impending doom. "SHUT UP!" However, the bring of euthanasia wouldn''t surrender, someone crashed against his face, but he didn''t stop turning his head back and waving his arrow back and forth, as long as there were fewer people... When he noticed this, contemplating the more than a few dozen bodies that lay on the ground, getting pulled as their howls revered, he knew it was time. "STAND UP! STAND UP NOW!! WE HAVE TO RUN!" With all the strength he could muster he pulled both of the girls up, somehow having Fayette balance herself against the wall. *THUD!!* *THUD!!* An unknown figure stepped on the fallen bodies as if he was jumping on mountains and quickly approached the trio. He didn''t pay much attention, but then... his senses kicked in with the swiftness of a lightning strike and he ducked! *WOOOSHH!!!* Right where his neck had been, a phantom shadow passed through in the form of a sword! !!! He immediately took out his Ruby knife, but not with enough time. Only now he recalled that he''s missing a hand! *CLAAAANGG!!!* The sword clashed against Fayette''s arrow in his working hand, producing sparks and eventually breaking, but that loss of momentum was everything Valentine needed to throw it away and take the ruby knife with haste, swiping it against the attacker''s neck! "Who the fuck are you!?" He yelled at the demon that kept running after having failed his assassination attempt. Of all moments they had to be attacked now!? "HMPH! A pity that I can''t have your head, protector... if we see each other again, I''ll have that filthy soul of yours!" The demon, a dark-skinned male with two big horns kept running and jumping on top of the ''corpses''. *SLASH!!* As he did so, he seemed to be cutting the heads of the runners just for the fun of it! "Who is he!?" Fayette balanced herself, pained at having her body stepped all over, thankfully, none of her leg''s bones broke off, otherwise they would be fucked. "I don''t know who that bastard is, but if I see him again, I''ll cut his head! keep running! it''s now or never!" There were a lot fewer people and the vines seemed to be working hard to pull those that fell, he turned around to glare at the approaching creature that seemed to be less than twenty metres away, where exactly did that demon come from? After recomposing the two of them ran, taking advantage of the bodies falling all around to not step directly on the ground and risk getting captured by the blazing vines. "It''s another intersection!" Fayette breathed mentally... physically and spiritually taxed, she needed to rest, but there is no time to rest. Vera looked at all these happenings and bit her lips tightly, so tight in fact that she bled. ''Useless... so useless...'' "Did you see where the demon headed to!?" Valentine had a clue, those demons must definitely know where to go next, they''re way more experienced. "I didn''t... but this time I think we should take the path with mist, there is no time!" She didn''t even ask for confirmation, the creature is upon them, Fayette ran directly into the path that had mist in it and Valentine followed closely behind. ... Once they reached that place, it was empty. "Aaahhh... Ahhh...." The two of them exhaled heavily and turned their gazes to the place they came from... and there was nothing... not even the intersection, only a long corridor with mist that seemed to be coming slowly. They then looked to the other side and it was the same, a shadowy path with nothing to hope for... "We have to follow the mist, Faye..." He gulped and looked at the path they just came from... it has mist, but... the other side doesn''t. "You can''t be serious, we just came from there! let''s rest..." Fayette fell directly on the ground heavily together with Vera, she''s tired, perhaps even more tired than when they ran in that forest, running from the accursed fire rain. "Okay let''s rest... but prepare in case anyone else comes, if we took this path, others might have too..." He lay beside her, also tired as fuck... that situation had been so hectic and despairing. "I''m sorry... I''m so sorry... y-you should have left me..." The girl sobbed, not feeling any pain anymore, the shame of being useless was way worse than any pain she could feel. "Shut up, Vera... you say any more nonsense and I''ll really throw you away right here" The blonde panted harshly and released a wolfish growl in outrage, she didn''t risk her life to save the girl just so she could get suicidal tendencies! "We''re in this together, Vera... if any of us falls as you did... I hope you will do the same. We''re going to wait here for a few minutes, but the plan is the same, if anything happens... we''re running to the mist." The reaper said and lay against the wall, taking one of the backpacks where they had water. "..." Vera clenched her hands harshly and nodded, she''d give her life for them if necessary... no matter what. !!! Chapter 48 - Star-Crossed Mahogany Tree After the earlier turmoil, the current silence could be called as anything if not comforting. "I can''t believe we''re still alive..." Fayette''s breathing had already gained a resemblance of normalcy. "Yes, that was... hectic." Her couple nodded continually, holding the burning flesh of his hand that was slowly regenerating. He leaned against the wall right beside her, always with his other hand on the ''ground'' in case any unexpected event took place, his gaze moved back and forth between the two paths of the corridor, also ready to take on anyone that arrived and wanted to play games or get funny. ''The mist seemed to be becoming bleak in this region. We need to move'' "..." Vera didn''t say anything else, she just lay on Fayette''s lap with her hand covering her eyes, feeling the slight itch coming from her re-growing flesh. "I knew we were lacking information, but to think that it was this much... no one ever mentioned this damned place..." Valentine added, this thing had taken them totally out of nowhere, one day they planned to leave through the southern gate, the next day they were stuck in this place that they can''t even comprehend. To say their prospects were ''twisted'', is an understatement, a severe one. At least the ''fire forest'' is an immensely huge open area where one can see one''s foes approaching from the distance, but here... a bastard ready to take a knife to slaughter you can appear out of nowhere and you won''t be able to do shit except wait to be stabbed, laying there on a pile of flesh and blood until the ''monster'' came to eat you. What a grey fate. "Truth be told, we never asked, Vale..." Perhaps trying to be funny would alleviate the situation, that''s what the beautiful blonde thought, right now she''s just happy that she''s alive with these two. At that moment when Vera fell and the Rose Thorn didn''t cut the root... she thought ''this is it...'' She wouldn''t choose to live by herself without the two of them? what would be the point? there is no point in remaining here just by herself, forever fated to not trust anyone. ... "How could we possibly ask about a matter we have no idea about!? this place doesn''t even make sense at a start point." "Perhaps everyone in this city takes these alleyways'' secret for granted... so far we have only seen two demons in here... and they seemed to be extra experienced, clearly, they know what they''re doing and how this place works..." Fayette asserted, first the woman and then that mysterious demon that called them protectors. "Our only chance is to wait until our limbs heal... then we will be on our way, I can already see less mist in this region, it''s not assured, but taking the path of the mist took us here, so we will just rinse and repeat..." There is no more efficient method to get through this nightmare. "No one else has come either... it might be similar to the forest in that regard... in order to succeed, you have to risk your own life... back in the forest we had to leave the cave in order to find the exit, but our instincts always told us to stay in the cave... it''s a proof against self-preservation of sorts." The bringer of euthanasia presented his proposition "It makes sense but I still don''t understand what kind of creature that is... it''s obviously not a demon." "It looks like a mahogany tree, it has the characteristics of a Mahogany tree, it''s extremely hard, durable and with invasive roots..." Vera''s words resonated to get both of theirs attention. "Can it be burned?" Valentine asked, to him, that''s the only possible way to stop this monster if it were necessary to do so, what other way is there to deal with wood? cutting it? they already tested that. "It can, and it burns splendidly well too... but I''m talking about the ones in the Earth, those don''t move or torture people... whether this creature can be burned or not... it''s questionable." The Russian beauty finished, lifting up her gaze to stare at the pair. "..." "..." ''Mahogany Devilish City...'' those words resonated in their mind, can they expect to find a place as ridiculous as this wherever they go, so far, this seemed more like a fantastic movie than hell itself, but that''s only because they''re rather strong and independent, for sinners with less ''resources''... this place is simply unlivable. ... "And what''s our plan then?" Vera asked once again, perhaps intending to be more useful through the next part of their plan. "Right now... we''re moving... I don''t feel confident staying here when there is less and less mist, let''s walk to the next interception." "But Vale... shouldn''t we wait? At least until Vera''s leg is healed." They had managed to sort it out somehow before, but the risk is just too much... too difficult to carry someone under those circumstances. "We can''t, I''d rather we move when we have breathing room than to run in the previous circumstances... this place clearly doesn''t follow any logic, just like we appeared amidst a swarm of people out of nowhere, why wouldn''t a swarm of people appear right here?" !!! "Let''s go, I''ll carry her this time." Rather than take Vera in a princess carry he crouched down to have the beauty crawl on his shoulders, at least like this he''d have a lot more mobility for self-defence. "Then I''ll go in the front, you just try to cover my back." Fayette ''ordered'' and took out her two knives, knowing that if she didn''t say so, the man would just take all responsibility by himself. "S-Sorry..." Vera crawled up and hugged his neck, wrapping her remaining leg and the regenerating one around his abdomen. "If you keep apologising, I''m going to punish you..." He uttered, slightly annoyed at her foreign treatment, they have been through this already. "..." Vera bit her lips lightly, feeling warmth and giddiness, she knows, they have been through this already, but it pissed her off that when the moment of the truth came, she''d always be the first to fall down. Maybe trying to comfort herself, she thought about this possible ''punishment''. ''Perhaps the ''punishment'' wouldn''t be that bad of a thing...'' She smiled and Fayette who had been giving her a sidelong glare... harrumphed. ''Naughty girl! is that what I saved you for!?'' ... They reached the next intersection, and this time, things were bound to be a lot more different than what they had been before, they had supposedly come out of one of these intersections before, but now... they''re different. "There is only one path... w-what is that?!" Fayette gaped at what she saw. From the original three intersections, there were two of them that had roots of the tree sprouting all over, blocking the path, and the worst part is that from one of those intersections, the disgraceful body of a person could be seen, but... to call it gruesome was a horrid mistake! *GULP!* The three of them glared at that ''body'' and gulped a mouthful of saliva that tasted acid. "!¡¤&$&$! ¡¤%/%((!!! %/(&()$$&!!!" A woman, naked... with a body that would surely induce jealousy and envy from other women, were it not for the roots that sprouted through her body... through her breasts, through her abdomen, through her limbs... through her eye, the root moved slowly as the woman wailed in silent screams of unintelligible noise. "My Goodness..." Vera and Fayette exclaimed with a particular fear, they could perfectly see themselves in this woman''s position. "Let''s go... we can''t waste time... the mist is clearing." Valentine took Fayette''s hand and walked the two of them to the only available path, thankfully... it had mist sprouting through it, indicating it to be ''safe''... and if it''s not... knife is already in hand. ** ** Within the palace of the City''s Marquess, another meeting, this time from a different party, was taking place. "My Marquess... they''re still in the alleyways, there isn''t a single wisp of their souls to be regarded... no one has come out." Sandmortelle, as usual, summoned within his green flames, reported to Marquess Warcroft who sat on his desk, checking some ''paperwork''. "How troublesome... of all places they had to enter the alleyways... you didn''t tell them about it?" He growled in outrage, he didn''t even think of this possibility, who enters the alleyways in the night?! Well, apparently, a lot of people... "They never asked, my Marquess and I totally overlooked this detail." Sandmortelle sighed, three types of ''fools'' dare to enter the alleyways. The ''fools'' from other cities or circles who don''t know this peculiarity. Demons hunting humans with special souls, mostly Onyx... And lastly, people are unlucky enough to enter them to survive prosecution. But regardless of whichever it might be, no one that has lived in this place for at least a year and managed to survive... has had ''thoughts'' about entering that accursed place a second time. ... "... fair enough, but if they perish in there, Sandmortelle... his death will be on your shoulders, the loss of a silver soul will be on you, understood?" His calm voice didn''t sound reassuring, rather... it contained a flamboyant threat. The odds of dying in hell are as minimal as the quantity of Demon Earls in the underworld, but still the word ''death'' is subjective. For example, the likelihood of someone escaping after being trapped by that ''tree'' is as small as the odds of a camel being able to go through the hole of a needle. Such an individual could already be considered dead, and his soul ''lost''. ... Sandmortelle didn''t answer the ''threat'' but his lips curled up. ''Valentine Wagner is a capable individual... if he can defeat a Demon Soldier, surely he can move through this threshold securely.'' "Gleipnir has stationed his demon agents in the southern gate and the south-eastern gate... apparently, he lost yet another Demon Soldier yesterday after pursuing Valentine Wagner..." For some reason, the Demon Count''s lips aren''t as worried about the ''perishing'' subject as others might expect him to. "Just those two gates?" "No, all of them, but he seems to be focusing predominantly on the southern gate." "Hmph! does he think this is his city!? Take some of our men and teach him a lesson, that bastard''s greed knows no bounds!" As the Marquess of the City, Warcroft''s responsibility is to legislate how the city handles itself, the commercial relationship with other cities and other circles. But the internal bureaucracy of every city is decided by a simple factor, the strong is to be revered... Gleipnir has his position, because he fought for it with might and strength, just as anyone else in the entire underworld. Even Demon Earls could be dethroned... but... there is no one strong enough to do it. "Understood, my Marquess... what about Valentine Wagner?" "What about him? until he reappears with his women from the alleyway, there is nothing we can do, you''re dismissed." Warcroft waved his hand in dismissal, as prominently imperious as a silver soul is, he still has other responsibilities to uphold. "...." Chapter 49 - The Worst Nightmare "Are you okay now, Vera?" Fayette checked Vera''s leg, aside from the obvious missing cloth, she''s okay... she doesn''t know how many days it has been already, they have a few cold dishes but have eaten at least ten of them in this timeframe. "Yes, thank you... it should be healed now, but... Vale..." Sensing Valentine''s concerned glare, not at her but at what they just found, just like the two of them she also caught up with what the current situation is. "..." The situation is becoming dire by the second. As his hand and Vera''s leg healed, they coursed through the cursed alleyways but there is one issue. The situation had been so frantic and survival-driven that when he cut down his own hand to escape, he forgot about the crystal inside... thankfully, the hand that got trapped within the vines was his left hand, not his right hand... had it been otherwise he''d be in all likelihood, fucked. As his gaze covered the intersection to the front, patterns and encounters voyaged through his mind, seeking a solution. It has been three times in a row where there are two paths blocked by the mahogany tree... leaving a single path to move through, fortunately, so far the path has contained mist but he and the blonde are starting to feel apprehension by the second, just now they walked and found an intersection as the mist was subsiding in the current block, and in this intersection, all three paths are blocked... "We have to return, there is no other way... let''s do it quickly." Valentine asserted, perhaps not as enthusiastic as before, and the trio turned heels to turn back, it has been a while since they found anyone, so far, it''s only the three of them. They had wanted to find that demoness or any other demon to find the answer to this ''riddle'', he''s convinced there is some kind of pattern here to be able to depart, he just hasn''t found it yet. At least they know that they can evade the creature by seeking the mist, the problem is... the mist is turning scarcer and scarcer. "Vera, take this... if the time comes that we have to run, I want you to be in the front" Fayette took out her backpack, utterly forsaking the need for arrows and a bow that is clearly not paramount in the current situation. "I understand, but... I''ll be in guard as well just in case, do you want the Rose Thorn, Vale?" She inquired, perhaps thinking that he''d be more assured by having the strongest knife. "No, keep it... it''s yours, Vera... I want you to be on guard as well, but if the situation arises, run..." The three started to move back, knife in hand and ready for any complication. "O-Okay" For some reason, she felt those words sounded ominous, but she''d definitely do as they said. ** ** To the other side of this shadowy corridor, .once again, there is only one path... but this time, Valentine''s fears became a reality, because this is the only path they have available and there is no mist coming from it, in fact, they can see, slowly but surely, vines starting to spread through it as if trying to close it! "What do you think we should do...? I think we should go..." Fayette gulped a mouthful and clenched her knife. If this remaining path is closed, won''t they be encased here in this corridor? what if the creature appears here then?! "I believe so as well..." Valentine''s thoughts were a mirage of Fayette''s. "I-I think we could stay here... so far there is nothing..." And so were Vera''s, but she''s afraid of even stepping inside that cursed corridor and meeting the same chaos from before. "AHHHHHHH!!!!" !!! They didn''t even know why or when, but the trio brandished their knives when they heard a voice behind them! Turning around like phantoms they saw a man in rags, running towards the other side of the corridor. ''Where the fuck did he come from?!'' It''s as if he appeared from the nothingness right behind them! The same continued happening, and then another and another... none even dared to look back. Some of them missed their limbs, the story just repeating itself. But only the three of them knew that to the other side of this corridor it''s a dead-end! ... "Let''s go... it''s a dead-end, prepare to run!" With no more doubt within his mind, Valentine knew this is the correct decision, this thing is trying to trap them inside this corridor! "Yes!" (Fayette, Vera) With humongous determination and restrained fear, the three of them stepped inside that shadowy alleyway... And the Chaos didn''t make itself wait. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Once again the wails of despair resonated upon their tired ears, another day another struggle, this time, however, they had more experience and there were categorically fewer people. They''re falling like insects If before they had been a hundred, now they''re a dozen at most, but... there are even more vines now! "RUN!! RUN!!" Valentine''s shouts didn''t make themselves wait, at least this time there are not that many people, but he can literally feel the vines scratching against his body! They''re everywhere! Without looking back at the creature for a single moment, with Vera in front, they ran... ran for their lives. The other side of the corridor can''t be seen yet, but he can only hope... it''s not a dead-end! *FIIUSSH!!* But right at that instant, Valentine felt how three vines latched tightly against his leg, making him fall face-forward to the ground filled to the brim with even more worm-like roots. *THUD!!* He fell, heavily... and right beside him another similar noise came when Fayette also fell. He tried to desperately cut the vines restraining Fayette while the latter shouted... she shouted with her lungs on the line and moistened eyes. "KEEP RUNNING VERA! DON''T STOP!!! DON''T STOP!!!!" "I DIDN''T TRAIN A COWARD! YOU HAVE TO RUN FASTER!!" ... Vera''s eyes moistened, more from the fear of the whole situation, stepping on the roots and the bodies than anything else... she heard those shouts that motivated her to go along, so loud and clear that she believed Fayette and Valentine to be running right behind her. Within the shadows of the alleyway, her figure disappeared. ... "UGH!!!" Valentine felt yet another two vines tightly clench around his abdomen as he stopped trying to cut the vines, even if he cut Fayette''s limbs by now, she wouldn''t be able to run. "Faye..." He didn''t want to say those words, but as their tightly bound bodies were dragged towards the heavy noises in the distance, with the wailings souls as the background, hope became dimmer. No white flames shone through his eyes at this instance, because... there is no way out. "..." "Please, don''t apologise..." She sobbed, knowing fully well that they were not going to make it. Nothing can cut these vines, as she saw her couple''s pained expression, her tears gave out, rolling down uncontrollably, she didn''t want him to feel guilty over this. "I''m sorry..." But he still had to apologise, there were no tears in his eyes, in fact... his eyes looked at Fayette with a small smile despite his sorrow. ''At least I''m with her...'' "I TOLD YOU TO NOT APOLOGISE, IDIOT!!" "I''m sorry... I should have gotten more information..." "IT''S NOT YOUR FAULT...! IT''S OUR FAULT! I WON''T ALLOW YOU TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY BY YOURSELF, WE FUCKED UP TOGETHER, YOU HEAR ME!?" "...I don''t think we''re going to make it, Faye..." The situation was more than evident, but he still needed to say those words, perhaps because her trust for him is always unbreakable, she might think he''s going through solutions in his mind, but he has nothing... for the first time, he has nothing. The only thing he could do, even in this situation was to move the only unrestrained hand he had and start fiercely clashing the Horntail knife against the ground, but sadly... this ground is not made out of stone... He hoped to create sparks that could burn the tree, but... only roots spread through, and there is no way to create friction in the current situation. He has nothing. "I don''t care..." She answered, still sobbing but less than before. "...?" "I don''t care... I knew... this was going to happen eventually, this is hell, Valentine... the love we''re experiencing... this paradise I''m living with you... it shouldn''t have been UGH!- l-long-lasting." She released a giggle even as one of the vines mercilessly dug inside her skin, the creature''s steps sounded closer and closer. "..." "I''m a sinner... we are sinners... Vera is the only one that doesn''t deserve this... as long as I go through this together with you, I don''t have a problem, I don''t care about anything else as long as I''m with you, do you understand me!?" "..." "Yes or not?!" Valentine sighed... ceasing all struggle... he crawled up to his bound couple and embraced. "Yes, me too... I love you, Faye... like I have loved no one." He confessed, perhaps not ashamed due to the feeling of fear coursing through his mind, fear he hadn''t felt in so long. "I love you too, please... regardless of what happens... remember that..." their shaking lips met at that moment, yes... fear. There is fear in there, for the other party. The two of them wouldn''t think it twice about sacrificing their lives for the other party but... that option is not available. *BOOM!* *BOOM!* "I''m worried about her..." He confessed, moving his gaze to the darkening corridor as the steps of the creature seemed to become imminent "Me too... I think... we didn''t teach her enough, she''s going to have a hard time... she''s still naive and doesn''t think things too much... also a little fearful but... I think she will be okay... s-surely she will find someone to trust, other than us..." Fayette''s lips quivered. "She might try to kill herself..." He asserted, with sorrow. "She won''t... I told her before that if she tried to do so I wouldn''t forgive her no matter what, I would haunt her..." The blonde said shamelessly. "Then I guess that''s the only... r-reassure w-we have." *BOOM!* One of the legs of the creature stepped so close to his head, that it could have squashed to mush was it any closer. *BOOM!* The same happened to Fayette, the roots spread through their bodies, impaling and invading their flesh wantonly, destroying nerves, causing pain... torturing. Trying to hold back from shouting her lungs out, Fayette and Valentine who had at this point get used to the pain of getting burned to a crisp, experienced a new kind of pain, one so surreal and horrible... that they couldn''t even describe it, but Fayette still had one last question to ask before whatever fate befell them took over... "D-do y-you... l-love her?" Perhaps she wanted him to be truthful with her in this situation, one where the two of them don''t know if they''re going to live or die. "... I do." And it was at that moment, that a relatively big piece of vine crawled up like a snake and fiercely penetrated their heads! *PUCHI!!* "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH------------------" ".... Chapter 50 - Will Breaking Agony "DON''T STOP RUNNING! DON''T LOOK BACK, VERA! RUN!!" "AAAHH... AHHH..." Vera''s legs were about to give away, she ran... she ran as fast as she could, not looking back, she heard Fayette''s voice so clearly that she believed the two of them to be running behind her unconsciously. ''Run! we have to run!'' When her eyes set on the gradually unravelling darkness, to her surprise and wonder, there was only one path available! "There is an intersection! it doesn''t have any mist! it''s safe!!" She shouted gleefully, not getting an answer... she assumed they were just too exalted to answer. Running inside the intersection, her eyes witnessed how the vines disappeared and the mist resurfaced through the dark corridors. *BAANG!!* She fell heavily on the ground, completely assured that they would be okay now that the mist is back. "We did it! It''s clear!!" She shouted gleefully, expecting them to literally fall on top of her. But no such thing happened... "Vale? Faye...?" Panting heavily, she moved her gaze back to the dark corridors, only for her heart to drop when she saw... that she was by herself. ... ''N-No...'' Her lips quivered, her eyes shook, it wasn''t those two delightful figures that caught up... it was the darkness of the alleyways. Forsaking her fatigue, she dropped her bag on the ground and ran with all her strength back to the intersections. *THUD!!* *THUD!!* Hoping, even praying she ran through the alleyway that seemed to be infinite, endless, her steps weren''t firm, they were weak, almost lifeless... "No... please no... God, I''m begging you...!'' When she finally found the intersection, her legs gave away... she fell heavily on her knees, but the pain produced by her knees, couldn''t possibly be compared to a sliver of what her heart and soul is currently undergoing. Tears rolled down her eyelids overflowing with sorrow. It was at that time she understood. ''Don''t look back... keep running... I didn''t train a coward.'' In front of her were three intersections, all of them blocked by vines. !!!!!!! After a relatively heavy palpitation of her heart, the images of her beloved and her best friend, smiling... phased through her mind. *COUGH!!* The Auburn-haired sorrowful woman spat a mouthful of blood right at this instant, thick and with a great volume. Her quivering eyes gradually turned chaotic, her breaths hastened... regarding the blood, she just spat as if the realization just dawned in her mind. ''They''re no longer here... they''re no l-longer with me... t-they are no longer here... Valentine... Fayette!'' VALENTINE... FAYETTE! !!!! *THUD!* Her consciousness gave away at that moment, the weight too much for her fragile heart to take, her body fell on the blood that she just spat. Like puppet that just lots its strings. ** ** "UGGGH!!! B-Bastard...!" "You were always a piece of shit... having you as my son has always been my biggest regret... you and that filthy bitch." Within a dark room, Valentine sat on a chair with a bloodied body, he doesn''t know how many times it has taken place, how many knives had gone inside his skin, tearing his organs, destroying his mind. But he doesn''t care... because he can feel that warmth, even in this torture, he''s still holding Fayette in his arms. "I have hated you for too long, son of a bitch... as long as I''m not dead, as long as I still have consciousness... there is always hope... hope that I will find you once again in this filthy netherworld filled with sinners and demons and slit that disgusting throat of yours, Magnus!" The Bringer of Euthanasia shouted those words to his father... the man who stood in front of him, dressed in graceful clothes with his grey hair shining slightly, he had a bloody knife in his hand, staining his entire right side. "Is that so? very well, but until then, Valentine... I''ll make sure that you suffer... I''ll make sure that you suffer like never has suffered before... it seems stabbing you is rather ineffective... how about this then?" The man smirked and moved his hand to the side as if he was holding something in the air. Valentine panted and tilted his head in bewilderment, but the moment he blinked... he was no longer holding air... he was holding a beautiful auburn-haired woman who struggled to free her neck from that hold, she was naked and her legs even tried to kick Magnus who only regarded her with all the coldness in the world. Annabelle Londonderry Maxwell. "M-Mother... MOTHER!!" it was at this moment that Valentine''s heart finally showed a reaction, even more than his Fayette, even more than his sister and Francesca... this is definitely his weak spot. "S-Son.. d-don''t look... please." *PUCHI!!* "AAAHHHHHHHH!!!" "BASTARD! BASTAAARDDD!!!!! I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU!" *PUCHI!!* *PUCHI!!* *PUCHI!!* ** ** Not in a different position was Fayette, the beautiful blonde also sported a bloodied body. In front of her was her ex-husband, the man she had been betrothed to, the man she had children with and eventually killed. "Even as I torture you like this, you still won''t relent... a headstrong bitch as always... I never loved you, it was just responsibility." The man also held a bloodied knife, staring at her with disdain while another woman stood beside him. The mistress he had behind her back. "There is nothing you can tell me that will make me think anything I did was wrong, piece of trash... whatever doubt I had was because of our children, and now that I am here, I finally realised that my taste for men was shit... I managed to meet a man that vastly outstripped anyone I had in the past, anyone I have ever loved, even ''him''... so what if you never loved me? do you think I cared? hmph! I was happy the moment you got that bitch! that meant you''d finally let me be!" "SLUT!" The man seemingly got offended as he fiercely lunged at the seating Fayette and started to stab her yet again, everywhere, her breasts, her thighs... *PUCH!!* *PUCH!!* *PUCH!!* "HAHAHAHAHA!! K-KEEP GOING! KEEP STABBING ME! THAT''S ALL YOU CAN DO! THAT''S ALL YOU EVER WAY, TIGHTLY BOUND LIKE THIS, IT''S THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD HAVE EVER OVERPOWERED ME, LITTLE SHIT!" "All I can do? no, you''re wrong Fayette... there is a lot more I can do..." The man smirked and separated himself from her bloodied and panting figure. When he moved aside, there she saw that bitch holding someone, and her heart dropped. "D-Danielle..." "Mother..." The man walked back with a smile and dragged his body back before coming to a stop beside his daughter, Danielle. "Stop..." The man snickered further upon witnessing Fayette''s despair, this is what he sought desperately. He dragged the bloodied knife along the girl''s contours and took her in his arms, the girl was younger than the moment Fayette died in that hospital bed, right now... she''s just a teenager. "Please stop... it''s my daughter..." "M-Mother... d-don''t look..." Just like Valentine, Fayette also has a weak spot, one that the Mahogany Tree knows very well. "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Before the bastard could even plunge the knife in his daughter, yet another yell was heard that got Fayette''s attention as her eyes got bloodshot. There, that whore smiled gleefully while plunging a knife in her son''s waist over and over! OVER AND OVER AND OVER... "BITCH! RELEASE MY SON RIGHT NOW!! EDDIE! FIGHT BACK HOW I TAUGHT YOU! FIGHT BAAACCKK!!" She struggled, contorted, twisted but the only thing she could see was how her ex-husband plunged a knife straight into their daughter''s abdomen, right in her belly. "M-MOTHER! HELP ME!" !!!!! "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Her children''s despaired wails resonated within this darkness domain, and gradually... Fayette''s mind crumbled as she quivered, drowning in a mess of tears. "STOP! P-PLEASE! STOP!!" The warmth she felt... the arms that enveloped her outside this domain no longer seemed as prominent. ** ** When Vera''s eyes opened, they no longer contained light. She pushed her lifeless body from the ground, she doesn''t know how long has taken place, she only knows that now she''s alone... abandoned. ''If you ever dare to take your own life after everything we have gone through, I''m going to haunt you, Vera... remember that...'' Fayette''s words remained in her head like flashlights in the night. She couldn''t forget them, she couldn''t go around them. Right now, she wants nothing more than to die. She had been prepared, if it ever reached this stage, she''d die with them but... it didn''t go as planned. "Valentine..." she thought about him, the man she loves, what would he tell her now? he hadn''t said a word... "He would tell me to leave, Vale... you would have told me to leave..." They didn''t ask for help because they knew she was going to turn around to try and save them or die with them. That''s why rather than feel reassured that she''s alive, or sad that her two companions have likely perished, she felt abandoned... She walked with slow steps to the bag that she had. ''You want me to live... so, I will live...'' Vera took the backpack, placed her Rose Eagle Thorn in her hand and moved away, walking through the accursed alleyways with living flesh, but... a dead soul. The days of happiness and joy are finished, they finished too soon.... right now, suffering and sorrow await. Chapter 51 - Blood Thirsty Fiend, Rose Eagle Thorn A flow of stuttery steps resounded through the alleyways. Like the drops of a broken damn falling on the sink, seeking to drown in the waste, relentlessly, non-stop. Even as her entire body persevered in peak condition, Vera''s soul continued to draw her down to the abyss. It had been two days already, despite having food in her backpack, she hasn''t eaten, for the past two days, she has seen nobody... not a single soul. ''Why do I still live?'' Those words, she had repeated them in her mind for so long. Why not just go to that creature, and fall there as well? perhaps that pain will be better than what she''s currently feeling. As if she just had her soul mercilessly torn like paper, even when she arrived in this damned place, recalling her last moments with Anastacia... she didn''t feel like this... this torn and wretched. ''Why do I still live?'' ''Whenever a situation wants to drag you down, that''s your best chance, Vera... congratulations... you have gained a stepping stone, now stand up, beat it and come out victorious... by the end of it, you won''t be the same, you will be better.'' Fayette''s words voyaged through her neurons as she recalled that moment... the moment she defeated her first wolf. ''Why do I still live?'' ''You''re always bound to find yourself in difficult situations, life isn''t easy and we won''t be with you at all times... there is always a way, Vera... if you can''t find it... make it.'' His words came into her mind, like a self-preservation mechanism. ''Why do I still live?'' ''You are one of the best women I have ever met, what you have done is not filthy... it''s bravery.'' ''...W-why do I... s-still... l-live?'' ''I didn''t train a coward, Vera... if you ever think about taking your own life after everything we have gone through... I will haunt you... we will haunt you.'' "..." No matter how many times she thought about it, how many times she sought motivation in their words, it only did the same... make her feel worse, sadder, more warmth-deprived. More abandoned. *sob* *sob* "Please, haunt me! please... come and haunt me!" Once again her knees gave up, taking her down onto the filthy ground, the same way it had happened dozens of times already. Even then, she couldn''t take her own life and surrender herself to that creature, it would go against their wishes, their effort, their sacrifice... The epitome of a cracked soul is depression, one that burns yourself to ashes and deprives you of happiness. What Vera is currently feeling. As she sobbed, she held her Rose Eagle Thorn tightly, her gift, the gift she had gotten from them... from Valentine. She felt so much regret... that she hadn''t become strong enough, that she hadn''t taken a proactive stance in their relationship, that she hadn''t said her feelings clearly... to the two of them. It''s all gone now and she feels so much regret and so much... ANGER. ** ** "We''ve finally lost that damned Mahogany tree." "Ahhh... H-How long has it been already, how much longer will we have to run!? THIS IS HELL! HELL!" Two individuals just came out from an intersection wearing rags, they''re humans... they panted and were covered in sweat and blood, who knows how long they have dwelled across these cursed paths or the atrocities they have committed to survive, but even then... they''re still here. "SSHHH!!! l-look..." He swiftly shushed his partner when his eyes regarded a figure in the darkness across the corridor. "What''s wrong?" "Do you see that? there in the distance..." "No... could it be a demon?!" "Be quiet! and no... it looks like a girl... let''s get closer..." "Keep silent..." When the two men with rags approached the figure, they realised that indeed, it was a woman... a woman that seems to be crying while kneeling on the bloody floor. "We''re lucky today... we haven''t eaten in months..." The second man whispered, licking his lips even when he saw the woman who not only looked quite hot from this angle, but she even had clothes and a backpack! That dagger she has in her hand too... were it not for the lack of wings, tail or horns... he''d believe this is a demoness, with the century he has spent in this accursed place after that test, this is the first human he has seen wearing such clothes. "Approach friendly at first and then..." The first one also snickered as they approached, trying the most gentleman smile they could muster, the hunger... the sorberb... aside from anger, those were their common sins. Sins that didn''t allow them to think rationally, right now, in front of them... there is not a person that shouldn''t be wearing those clothes... no, it''s just a hot girl to fuck and then devour... "Hey, girl, are you alright? can we help you with anything...?" "..." "We don''t have any bad intention, we just want to talk... there is this creature moving around, it''s better if we work together to survive in this place." "..." *THUMP* ''PERFECT! PREY...! KILL THEM... KILL THEM AND EAT THEM...'' ''N-NO... N-NOT EAT...'' Aside from Valentine and Fayette''s flesh... she didn''t want to eat anyone else... it''s a ritual, it''s their ritual! ''EAT THEM... EAT THEIR SOULS, YOU WILL BECOME STRONGER... YOU WANT TO SAVE THEM, NO? THE MAN THAT YOU LOVE, VALENTINE WAGNER... YOUR BELOVED, YOUR BELOVED ''SISTER''... THAT WOMAN THAT''S TAKING YOUR MAN... YOU WANT TO SAVE THEM...'' ''B-BUT I DON''T WANT TO EAT ANYONE ELSE... J-JUST...'' ''EAT THEM... THEY''RE STILL ALIVE... YOU JUST NEED TO BECOME STRONG ENOUGH! EAT THEM! EAT THEM, STAB ME INSIDE THEIR FILTHY SKULLS, DRINK THEIR DISGUSTING BLOOD! DEVOUR THEIR LIVERS AND THEIR BRAINS, INGEST THEIR SOULS, DON''T LEAVE ANYTHING LEFT! NOT EVEN THE BONES! EAT THEM!!!!'' *THUMB!* *THUMB!!* *THUMB!!!* Her heart palpitated, her hands clenched so tight around the knife''s handle that her nails sunk in her flesh... her pair of brown eyes went bloodshot as the unceasing feeling of bloodlust crept her mind like never before. ''Stronger... become stronger to save them!'' The Russian beauty knows she''s being influenced... but... as long as she can see them again, she doesn''t care. SO BE IT! ... "I think she''s traumatized, Jack... n-now is the-!" The man was about to simply lunge now that the woman seemed to be in this weakened state, she''s rather beautiful, after having some fun with her and de-stressing themselves, they could have a nice meal like the one they had a few months ago. They needed to survive, nothing else mattered. But Vera stood up slowly at that moment as if she was a puppet being pulled by strings. "... so you''re finally going to..." *SLASH!!* "..." *THUD* One phantom bloody haze and half of a head fell, leaving a spectacle of blood that stained the entire corridor. "L-Leo... y-you-!" *SLASH!!!* Another slash and another head fell lifelessly on the filthy ground... just like that. The knife went through their bodies like butter... if it could damage the though skin of a demon to such an extent ''Disgusting... they''re humans... they''re weak... demons, we need to eat demons... but for the time being... eat them... eat their crystals!'' ''w-who... are you...?'' Vera''s legs quivered as she fell down on her knees yet again, her body stained with blood as she crawled to those corpses. ''I''m the blade you''re holding... I can give you power! I can make you stronger! but... there are conditions... otherwise, you''re not qualified to be my host and I will kill you!!" ''If I become stronger... can I stay beside them...?'' As if being controlled, she sought those tattoos, because she knows that''s where the crystal is... she needs to eat it! ''You can... that''s the only way you can stay with them... stay with Valentine... our beloved Valentine, his blood is so delicious and he brings me... memories... AS YOU''RE NOW, YOU''RE TOO WEAK! EAT THEM CRYSTALS! I''M HUNGRY! DEVOUR THEM NOW!!'' !!! *SLAP!!* ''DON''T ORDER ME AROUND, THIS IS MY BODY!'' Once again anger flourished as Fayette fiercely slapped her own cheeks to get a grip, this thing is trying to gain control, she can''t allow it to gain control! ''If you want to see them again, you have to cooperate with me!'' ''...'' ''Now eat their souls! you will become stronger if you eat them! DO IT NOW!'' Biting her lips and with shaking hands, Vera extracted the crystals and ate them... it''s not her first time doing it, but... it''s the first time she doesn''t do it out of hunger.. but rather... something else. Unlike before... they didn''t taste horrible, no... they tasted so well! !!! Her mind suddenly became a little sombre as the sadness and sorrow moved to the second stage as if she had just taken a whiff out of something green and natural. It felt so nice to not be sad, to not feel broken. ''It feels nice, right? eat the other and you will feel better... don''t stop... eat their flesh too, eat it all! EAT... EAT... EAT..'' Smiling lightly, Vera took her Rose thorn... and cut a piece of flesh... yes... it''s tasty. She took it... and she devoured it. And.... she didn''t regret it. Chapter 52 - Veras Wails & Demoness Sasha She hadn''t heard its voice again. Not after she devoured the bodies... completely... everything. They were... tasty. "I need to... become stronger." With only the backpack on her back and the bloody dagger in her hand, a Vera that was more than a little soaked in blood walked... she found an intersection within the endless alleyways. And she took the path that had no mist. ... The environment changed into that of hell as a lot fewer people than before ran for their lives, the vines mercilessly snatched souls and entangled bodies. *BOOM* *BOOM* But Vera wasn''t running. She turned around and looked at the creature that was coming, slowly... towering above her by perhaps a little less than double her height. She started to shiver, why? why is she shivering now!? "Give them back..." ''MOVE!!! DON''T JUST STAND THERE! IF YOU''RE GOING TO HAVE THE AUDACITY TO FIGHT IT! THEN DON''T JUST STAND THERE LIKE AN IDIOT! KILL IT! SLAUGHTER IT AND CUT HIS VINES!'' !!! *SLASH!!!* She slashed her knife to the closest vine, but only managed to scratch it, not cut it! "GIVE THEM BACK! GIVE THEM BACK TO ME!!" She yelled with bloodshot eyes as she evaded the vines and cut those that she could, perhaps trying to release her ire! This creature plundered everything that she cares for! After having done enough, she ran up to the beast and intended to plunge her knife straight between its eyebrows, but all she did was get a vine entangled around her leg! !!! "AHHH!!" ''CUT IT! CUT YOUR OWN LEG DOWN! AND KILL IT!'' ''N-NO... I CAN''T... I''M TOO WEAK... S-SORRY... I''M SORRY... VALENTINE, FAYETTE... I CAN''T DO IT... NOT WITHOUT YOU.'' She cried, wailed in despair. Yes... this is it... finally, the suffering will end, this pain that''s piercing her heart every minute, every single second of this miserable existence, will end now. ''YOU''RE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN SAVE THEM! ARE YOU REALLY... GOING TO GIVE UP LIKE THIS!?'' !!! ''Vera... there is no cowardice in retreat... you''re not escaping... you''re retreating, if there is no way... use your head and create one!'' ''Whenever you find a threat... you have two choices... fight it and evolve, or give up and die... most of the time in your life... the decision to fight your fears is the only one that will influence the world and those you care for... but when you choose to give up and surrender... the world will continue spinning your loved ones will carry on with their lives and move on... so which one will it be? are you going to kill this monster and continue to thrive with us? or are you going to let it kill you and die here pitifully by yourself... while we carry on our path, which is it?!'' !!!! ''I WANT TO LIVE! I WANT TO LIVE AND SAVE THE TWO OF YOU!'' *SLASSH!!!* With whatever strength she had, she cut her leg and one of her hands! ''RUN!! I HAVE TO RUN!!!'' ''FIGHT IT, KILL IT!'' ''SHUT UP!!'' Using a single leg and with all the will she could muster, Vera evaded those vines, she caught a glimpse of a man running not too far from her, he seemed to be an old man. Without even thinking twice, she took him by the shoulders and pushed him back into the vines! !!! "!¡¤%!&¡¤%/$/(!!!" The man served as a good distraction as she ran, she ran... and ran... and ran... ''RUN!! DON''T LOOK BACK VERA, YOU HAVE TO RUN! I DIDN''T TRAIN A COWARD!'' She ran, and then... she crossed that intersection and fell on her bloodied body... missing a leg and a hand... but alive. ''I need to get stronger... I need to... plan... what would you have done? what is the way out...?'' ** ** In two weeks, Vera had been slaughtering everything she saw and devouring it, she devoured crystals... she devoured the flesh, she ran from the creature... her abilities increased, but she still couldn''t cut a single one of those vines. The Rose Thorn had gone quiet once again. She has nothing in her mind... if she can''t find anything to try and burn this thing... it''s hopeless... Vera had already tried taking a piece of her blouse and producing sparks with her knife and the stone walls, but the sparks didn''t seem to have enough intensity to light up anything... especially when her attire is drenched in blood. ''Valentine, what should I do...?'' She leaned against a wall, looking at the moonless dark sky. "It''s you..." !!! Her gaze moved abruptly to the origin of the voice and there, she saw it... The demoness from before! ''KILL HER! DEVOUR HER!! EAT HER FILTHY CORE!'' Just as quickly, the Rose Thorn reacted and she gripped her knife strongly, yes... as long as she can hunt this demoness, she can get stronger! It''s a demoness! "WAIT!!" The naked demoness gaped when she saw the dagger in Vera''s hand, her clothes drenched in blood! But Vera wouldn''t wait, she would do anything to get stronger! *THUD!!* "S-STOP!" She lunged on the demoness that could only fall while trying to keep that accursed bloody dagger away from her neck! "I CAN HELP YOU GET OUT OF HERE! I KNOW THE WAIT OUT! DON''T KILL ME!" Vera''s strength dimmed at the demoness'' preposition. "I can help assist you! Rose Thorn!" !!! "How do you know that!?" For some reason, Vera''s hands once again regained her strength as she intended to directly bisect this vixen! "I can tell you... if you let me go! I know this dagger! I can help you get away from here!" The demoness'' shiny purple slitted eyes met Vera''s as she struggled to keep the knife away, she knows the moment she makes contact with it... she''s done! "..." ''KILL HER!!!!!'' ''SHUT UP!!'' Vera stood up from the demoness'' body as the female panted heavily. She had been a few millimetres away from perishing. "What is the way out...?" Vera didn''t beat around the bush, she only let this demoness alive for a single reason. "..." The demoness stood up and undusted herself while her assets wiggled in splendour. "There is no way out..." !!!! "You bitch!" Vera was about to lunge again, as expected, demons can''t be trusted! "Wait! I said there is no way out, but that doesn''t mean that we can''t come out!" "Ha!? You''re just going in circles!" She took the demoness by the neck, demons have superior physiques, but through the entire ordeal, the females'' gaze was fixed on the dagger. "Just listen to what I saw and lower that thing down, okay? as long as we stay out of that creature''s grasp... we can live... but we have to keep constantly running... from it... haven''t you noticed?" "...?" "You could stay at one place for as long as you want before it gets sealed and invaded by the Mahogany tree... but there is always a way forward, at least one... one with mist and one without mist, why do you think so?" "Stop being cryptic and answer... I don''t have the time!" "It''s because this place gives you two options... survive like a coward... or fight back... this cursed alleyways will eventually decide when it pushes you out by themselves, it''s a curse... but if you keep taking the paths where there is no mist... you will manage to leave faster!" The demoness concluded, leaving Vera to analyse the entire thing. And it made sense... why would it be logical to follow the mist? It''s a trap... trying to make you feel secure... you imprison yourself within this endless curse. "I understand, fuck off then..." "Wait... let''s cooperate, two are better than one, no?" "And why the fuck would I trust you?!" "Because I am a demoness from the circle of lust... I came here to make a new life." The demoness explained briefly with her arms around her huge chest, her answer prompted Vera to roll her eyes. ''That''s why you were recklessly jumping on a human''s crotch while pummelling his skull with a knife, anyway...'' "..." "Am I supposed to trust you because you''re a slut?" Vera concluded and it made the demoness grit her teeth. "That''s quite disdainful of you, human... aren''t you a slut too?~" !!! "What? I''m a demoness from the circle of lust, do you think I can''t sense it? your lust might not be your primary sin, but there is no doubt you''re more than a little ''experienced'' in the matter, perhaps you''re even filthier than me~ those eyes you used to see that stud from before, you wanted him to fuck you, right?~ now, that I think about it, where is that hunk?" Her cold gaze searched and searched, but she didn''t find him. "SHUT UP! DON''T TALK ABOUT HIM!!" Vera''s knife once again pointed at the demoness'' head, she wouldn''t allow anyone to talk about him! Just hearing it... it pains her! "Okay... I won''t... so, what are you going to do? we are a team?" "What team? you''re dreaming if you think I''m going to give my back to a demoness, slut or not..." "I know that Rose Thorn... as I said, I''m not just any demoness... the origin of that dagger is the circle of lust... I don''t know how it ended up here in the circle of anger but... if you can wield it without dying, it means it has chosen you and hence... you''re at the very least a bronze." The demoness licked her lips, but there wasn''t any ulterior motive within her words. "Is that so? doesn''t that mean I should kill you with haste?" "No... because I can tell you a few things that you might not know about it... I assume your partners were captured..." "... are they dead?" She asked, her eyes already starting to moisten. "You might as well forget about them... they''re not dead, but rescuing them is impossible... right now they should be undergoing the worst of tortures... for eternity..." The demoness said neutrally, perhaps resisting the urge to smile at a human''s misfortune, she wants to keep her head. !!! *sob* *sob!* "N-No... NO! UWU UWAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" The pain came back, that unbearable pain, why? why does it hurt a lot more?! This is not the answer she wanted... what was she even expecting? that they''re okay? but that''s impossible... to hear that they''re being tortured and will keep being for eternity, without her being able to rescue them. It''s just too much to take in. "..." With Vera''s wails of despair in the background, the demoness sat down and leaned against the corridor''s wall.... waiting. Chapter 53 - A Liberated Body & A Torn Soul "Have you calmed down..." The demoness asked coldly, not having separated her gaze from Vera for the entire hour that the woman had cried. "..." Vera''s eyes were already lifeless, she couldn''t get any worse. "I can tell you about the blade..." The demoness insisted. "Why haven''t you killed me and swallowed my soul yet..." Vera asked, for an entire hour she just cried in front of a demoness, if Valentine and Fayette were here, they''d slap her for such a massive flaw. But they''re not... she''s alone. "The previous Rose Thorn saved my life once... thousands of years ago... long before I came to this circle." "..." Vera finally crawled and leaned on the wall to the opposite side of the demoness, hugging her knees and listening with the blade still in her hand. "The Rose Thorn is an extremely powerful demon... it''s passed by generations in the form of a bloody dagger, the Rose Eagle Thorn... it''s a picky short sword with delightful embroidery and design, one that would make anyone that''s unaware of its origin covet it madly... sadly or fortunately... not everyone can wield it, only those chosen by it can... as for what the qualifications are to do so, no one knows... I wouldn''t have stolen it from you even if I wanted... it''s highly likely that it would kill me upon doing that." The demoness explained, shamelessly spreading her legs and exposing herself to Vera, who didn''t seem to care. "I don''t know if it was the previous generation before you... but it was a demoness called Zamira Trovskaya, I was in the circle of limbo at that time... being hunted and then she saved me... we demons from the same circle tend to be more... compassionate... with one other outside of our respective circles... she didn''t say much, just saved me, we fucked once and she departed." "..." ''How anti-climatic...'' Vera thought. "I didn''t know that it could choose humans as well, that''s why I said that you must be at least a bronze... only remarkable demons could possibly gain its attention... Zamira was a Demon Marquise... I wonder what happened to her and how the dagger ended up here... a pity, she''s likely dead now, I liked her... that''s why I want to cooperate with you... in a way... you''re her inheritor, even if you''re a human... what is your name?" "Vera Sidorov..." "I''m Sasha..." "What did you come to the circle of anger to do?" If she''s going to work together with this demoness, she needs information, behaviour, flaws... "To search for power... and I also wanted to leave the life of a slut..." The demoness answered while scratching her head in a rogue manner. "It doesn''t seem to be working." Vera cleaned her eyes and uttered with self-mockery. "What can I say? he was an Onyx soul... it''s not something I can easily let go of... I have a business in the city, he was my prey, I seduced him but it didn''t work... he wasn''t a newbie here... so I tailed him and he happened to come into the alleyways at that time of the night, tough luck..." The demoness snorted, even then she doesn''t regret it. "Why are you so adamant in getting the souls?" Perhaps right now it''s the best moment to get information, she seems rather honest. "You''re clearly new here, huh... I thought you were protectors but I was mistaken... we demons become stronger after devouring souls... not only that, but we need to devour souls to survive... that food that you see in the stores for demons? other than being tasty, it doesn''t do shit... in order to survive we demons need to devour souls on a daily basis, or at least... vitality..." "I see..." "But it''s not only that... in order to increase our ranks and strength, we need stronger souls... for example, if I were to devour your soul, supposing you are a bronze... I would jump straight into the ''Demon Soldier'' rank" "..." "By swallowing that bastard''s vitality before eventually taking his crystal... I stepped forward ahead in my journey... I have been stuck like this for thousands of years, and after swallowing hundreds of Onyx souls, I think I need just twenty more before I can step up my rank." "... so much?" "Yes... we demons have great longevity... theoretically, we never die of old age... the oldest demons... the earls and duchesses, have millions of years... but the older demons are, the higher their rank usually is." "How old are you?" "Three thousand-ish... you?" "Twenty-ish..." "That shit doesn''t work with me, just say your real age!" "Uhg... okay, thirty-ish..." "I see, so... you loved that human, the one that well... is no longer here..." afraid that her head would roll, the Demoness Sasha was careful with her words. "Yes... with my life... I don''t want to talk about them... we have been standing here for too long... let''s go." The Russian lady stood up, ready to tackle the issue and erase the phantoms in her mind. "Then let''s go..." ** ** She doesn''t know how long has it been ever since she separated from Fayette and Valentine, then began her journey with Sasha. They had fought together, evaded the creature, eaten humans and demons... she could feel herself getting stronger but she still can''t cut through those vines. The Rose Eagle Thorn kept quiet... it seems as long as she keeps devouring, it will be content. They moved through an intersection that had no mist, the pair had rested for a few minutes and Sasha is now wearing some decent rags after being scolded on by Vera. The latter seems to be doing better recently, strokes of sorrow still attack her whenever she tries to sleep, nightmares... but otherwise, she''s doing better than the start where she would just cry disconsolately at the most random of moments. "Are you ready, Vera...?" Sasha stood up and took a knife she had gotten from some of the humans they killed... they''re trash but it''s something. "Who goes first, Sasha?" "... whoever you want to... I''m not scared." The demoness smirked and played with the knife as her purple skin glistened with blood. "Is that so? then you go first..." The Russian beauty rolled her eyes and awaited the next movement. However, as they came through the intersection... something was different from the dozens of times they had already done this... there was no creature, no vines... no wails of despair. Just a common corridor. "..." "..." The two of them regarded one another and that''s when... a shine of light came from the skies, hitting their faces. !!! The two instinctively looked up above... and Vera''s eyes moistened yet again as that agonizing pain came back to her heart like a thunderbolt amidst the storm. Two shining moons lightened up the otherwise dark and misty alleyway. They ran, no... Sasha ran while she staggered through the corridor, and there it was. ... Bustling crowds of demons walking amidst the main street, speaking to one another as if it was the most leisure thing in the world. While her heart broke into tiny pieces and she cried yet again. Because she''s out of that accursed alleyway, finally... but she''s by herself. they''re still inside. Like it had happened a hundred times, her knees gave away and she fell on the ground, feeling terrible, feeling dead. Sasha sighed and knelt down beside her, patting her back. It might sound ridiculous but in her three-thousands years of life... she has never seen anyone in hell... suffer so much without any physical pain being inflicted on them. Vera''s soul is like a cracked crystal that''s being constantly poked with a needle at the edges, opening the crack slightly at every poke, ever so slowly... ever so painfully. She''s torn. "Stand up, let''s go... cover yourself, we''re going to my pub." She helped Vera to stand up even as the latter didn''t want to as they walked. Vera had told her how they were hunted and forced to enter the alleyways, in this world time doesn''t exist... whether a day or a million years had taken place outside... there is no way to know, heck, there is even a possibility they''re in the past! That''s how hell works, to disorient and fill the already fallen and lost souls... with even more despair as they wander astray, through its star-crossed confines. Therefore, there is the possibility that she''s still being hunted. ** ** With a lifeless Vera in her arms, Sasha arrived at her pub on the west side of the city. A pub that she ran with many other demonesses that she employed, she has had this business for several centuries with souls that she got from the other circles. "Sasha, you''re back! who is that?" A red-skinned demoness with a tight suit and a bikini top asked in surprise, she had a single horn coming from the side of her head, curling up in a weird shape. "Andrea... how long have I not been here?" That was the purple-skinned demoness'' first question when she met her employee. "Ah? a week, we were wondering if you lost yourself... Maze even tried to take over the pub but we stopped her, tehe~" "Is that so? as expected of that bitch, I''ll deal with her myself... I''ll be in my room." She hurriedly tried to draw the covered Vera in her room. "You didn''t answer... who is that? a prey?" The red-skinned demoness regarded the covered Vera with a threatening glint, if she went as far as to bring her here... that means this woman is likely an onyx. "Yes... a prey... stop asking questions and go to work!" "... Yes." Chapter 54 - Gallantry And Resolution !!!! Vera Sidorov opened up her pair of zircon-like gems she had for her eyes, her hand quickly moved to search for her Rose Eagle Thorn and she didn''t find it. Raising her guard to the max, she moved her gaze around the room... darkness covered the entire room but she could still distinguish shapes. Noises came from outside the room. Vera noticed that a blanket covered her body and she still wore her bloodied clothes. It didn''t take her long to find her trusty knife, it was to the side on a table, covered in rags. She immediately took it, at this stage, she felt uncomfortable when she didn''t have this knife on her body. "Where am I? Sasha?" Her mind sought after the last memories and her countenance quickly fell. "Yes... I... escaped that place." For weeks they had been fighting their way through, she faced the creature many times, but not even once she managed to cut any of the vines completely... taking that monster on in impossible. But even then... Vera Sidorov wouldn''t surrender, she had already made her decision. Therefore, without giving further consideration for anything, she took her filthy backpack, her knife and covered her head in rags. ''They might still be hunting us... I don''t know how long has it been and I don''t even have a way to tell, but it doesn''t matter... guys... I''m coming...'' She departed the room only to find herself in what looked like a massive party with demons... as disgusting as ever. Some of them directly sat on top of human bodies, but she didn''t pay attention to this, perhaps, already too used to the sight or adapted to the environment. This is hell, so what? this is where she lives now, she''s not a weakling like them. Attracting some people''s attention as she departed from the boss'' room, she was stopped by a demoness with crimson red skin and a single horn. "Why are you leaving Sasha''s room?" The demoness, Andrea, thought that the boss'' prey is escaping and intended to take her back to the room. "Move..." !!! But Vera''s bloodied visage stopped her from doing anything, the woman''s eyes seemed to contain a bloody glint, and the moment the Rose Eagle Thorn showed itself coated in blood, she gulped heavily. ''She''s scary! a protector!?'' With her fears taking over, Andrea moved aside and allowed Vera to go out of the pub with a forehead covered in sweat. Is that really a human? she thought she was in front of a beast that would devour her at any instance. ** ** A few hours later, the purple-skinned demoness came back to her pub with a few bags in her hands. When she entered her room, the demoness witnessed the empty blankets and immediately snorted. ''Vera... you can''t stay in one place for long can you?!'' Leaving the bags in her room, Sasha immediately departed to look for Vera, only to end up encountering the flustered crimson demoness outside of her room. ... "Sasha..." Andrea figured Sasha must be pissed that her ''prey'' escaped, more so if it was a protector... but for some reason, the ''prey'' argument didn''t seem to convince her. There is no way a demoness like them could defeat a protector. "Where is she?!" "She left... I... didn''t expect you to get a protector..." Andrea didn''t receive an answer because Sasha rushed out straight away. ''Fool... what if they catch you...!'' ** ** "I didn''t expect to see you here so soon, girl." Vera''s first destination was a weapon shop, covered to the head with rags she entered it and showcased her lifeless expression to the dwarf demon that sold them her companion before. The demon smirked when he regarded Vera''s appearance, she knows nothing like the weak and innocent appearance she used to have, the person in front of her resembles a demon more than the demon themselves. ''She didn''t even bother to get rid of her bloodied clothes, this could get her the attention from the demon soldiers...'' He contemplated. "How long has it been since the last time you saw me, old demon?" Vera saw in this an opportunity, certainly, she could know how long has it been like this. "A week at most... to think that you have changed so much in such a short while... or... I see... you got in the alleyways, a pity... as for your companions..." Upon regarding the change in Vera''s expression, he stopped. A trigger, he could only sigh, perhaps that boy he pretended to get ''protection'' from... is no more either. "Shut up... I''m not here to gossip with you, demon... I want to buy something." The lady said coldly and prepared to take out some amethyst coins that she exchanged, at a fairly great price might she add... she could still recall how they were mercilessly scammed back then, this is what a frightening appearance can accomplish. "I see, then tell... what do you want? I also don''t want to waste too much time, your appearance could get me in trouble..." "Do you have anything inflammable? like alcohol?" "... I do... but if you want something to produce fire, you could get wine or other beverages from the other shops at a better price, are you sure you want to spend this much money just to light something up?" "Yes, I need something that produces way more heat than a beverage, if you have bombs of some sort, better..." if cuts don''t work, she''s going to burn that motherfucker. "They''re not going to be cheap." The demon immediately saw the opportunity to rip someone''s limbs off. "I don''t care! I have the money!" And this statement only further fueled his avarice. "Okay... I have a few bombs, girl... but, selling them is illegal, you might understand..." The demon snickered, ready to rip someone off Alas... he was going to be surprised... because Vera didn''t spend a week in the alleyways, she spent months, devouring and storing souls, moreover, she also had the core of the demon soldier that Valentine killed, which she sold for a little more than a million amethyst coins. A beautiful golden card that she had. "..." The woman stared at the products, already formulating her plans... what she''s going to do, how she''s going to do it... how she might perish during the whole ordeal. And how she doesn''t care about the latter part. ** ** "Where were you?" Upon seeing the figure enter her room so casually, Sasha snorted, it''s obviously Vera, still in her bloodied rags but with a backpack that seems to be full of things. She had sought Vera everywhere but didn''t find her, eventually hoping that the Russian beauty would just pop up here again, and she did. "I was buying stuff..." Vera answered shortly after, placing the backpack on the ground and then taking a card that she threw at the bewildered demoness. Sasha caught it, it''s a card with 450.000 amethyst coins... a lot of money even for her who owns a business that despite not being completely successful, has income. "What is this for?" Rather than to give to her urges and take it, she asked... right now, it''s beyond money. "That''s a gift for you, Sasha... it was fun... I''ll be leaving tonight." Vera didn''t bother to take out rags, she''d have to get naked and she didn''t want to get naked in front of Sasha. Because Sasha has a preference for the other sex... yes, she likes women more. And during their entire time together, she had made this very clear... just as she herself has also made it clear that she already loves someone. Whether he''s alive or dead, that doesn''t matter. Therefore, perhaps in consideration of their newfound friendship, she doesn''t want to give the demoness any false hopes. The latter is also not a little girl, she''s a three thousand years old wicked demoness. "Where are you going, Vera?" Sasha bit on her luscious lips, more than aware of what the girl is going to answer, but she still didn''t want her to say it. "I''m going back to the alleyways to save them" Vera said nonchalantly as if it was the most common thing in the world, and it was. !!! "IDIOT!" Sasha lunged at her and the two girls clashed immediately. "YOU CAN''T SAVE THEM! WHY DON''T YOU GET THAT IN THAT STUPID HEAD OF YOURS!? THEY''RE ALREADY DEAD!" She insisted, saying the same thing she has said dozens of times across their entire journey. "SHUT UP, SASHA! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT NOT MEDDLE IN MY BUSINESS!" *BANG!!!!* *COUGH!* After getting kicked right on her stomach, Sasha literally flew across the room and landed on her bed, there, Vera pin her down as she struggled. "Y-You! H-Headstrong bitch!" Sasha struggled but was surprisingly unable to overpower Vera! "..." "..." "Come with me, we can go and save them together..." Vera suggested, perhaps a part of her found companionship on this demoness, if she truly managed to save her two beloved companions, they''d surely slap her for trusting this demoness, but so far, she believes she hasn''t chosen mistakenly. "Why the fuck should I care about them?" Sasha rolled her eyes and struggled a little once again, here she goes again with her nonsense. "I don''t know... do you have anything better to do?" "I could go now and get fucked somewhere... after this stupidity of yours, I really feel like having a good fuck... and you don''t have a dick nor are you willing to please me, so..." "Fool, you said you wouldn''t do those things anymore, were you lying?" "You were a whore once too... don''t talk as if it''s that easy to not go back, especially me who has been whoring myself for more than a thousand years." The demoness snickered as if she was proud of it. "... I don''t want you to go..." She has a point, but still, the Russian beauty thinks she''s already over that period of her life. "Whatever I do is not your business either... if you''re not going to kiss me, get lost..." Sasha bit her lips and tempted the girl, she has already offered her this numerous times, even saying that she wasn''t going to go after her soul... by now she''s more than aware that Vera is a Bronze. "Hmph, then do whatever you want... if you want to get fucked that much... go and get fucked, I''m giving you until the evening... if you don''t come with me by then... Goodbye." Vera released the demoness and fell to the side, pretending that she was going to sleep. "..." Sasha bit on her lips harshly and stood up, departing the room not before giving the ''sleeping'' Vera a deep glance. Vera wasn''t sleeping yet... she just sighed when she heard the door close. ''We are not even that close anyway... but, she''s the first demon that I can actually trust.... that must count for something.'' Chapter 55 - Bravery Amidst Recklessness The darkness of the night met a cloaked Vera in front of the alleyway that was the closest to the pub. She had her trusty knife hooked on her waist and her backpack full of explosives, inflammable liquids and materials to produce fire... a mahogany tree''s weakness is fire. It''s almost time and Sasha didn''t appear... she didn''t even go back to the room. Vera sighed and rubbed her forehead, maybe she truly felt a little sad and a little scared that she was going to do this by herself. ''If it''s without the two of you, I''d rather not roam this land... I came to this conclusion, I tried but couldn''t... that''s why I will do this and perhaps... we will be together again, if not here... in the other life.'' She mocked her own thoughts, how could there be life after hell? this is literally the ''other life''... "Sasha..." she sighed once again and decided to wait just a little more. ... Ten minutes later, she saw it... the mist... it''s coming out of the alleyway. "It''s time..." "Who are you waiting for?" !!! A voice resonated behind her, and there she smiled when she saw Sasha, dressed in better gear than what she used to have, she had done some shopping. "I thought you wouldn''t come..." Vera chuckled at the demoness who walked until they were shoulder to shoulder. The demons passed by, giving them bewildered glances, why are they in front of the alleyway? the night has already started... "Yeah, me too... I guess even we demons can be stupid at times... love is fucking disgusting... sex without responsibilities is better." The demoness ranted her own beliefs, she doesn''t know if she ''loves'' Vera... but she hasn''t been attracted to any other female since Zamira, the other Rose Thorn. "We haven''t fucked." Vera deadpanned. "Yet..." "..." The girl could only roll her eyes at the female''s insistence as the two of them started to walk in the alleyways with weapons in hand, Sasha had even bought herself a sword. "I have made my own plans already." She uttered as they entered the mist, the shadowy and merciless corridors of the accursed alleyways. "...?" "After we save the hunk and the beauty... I''m going to convince them to share so that you can join their relationship..." She declared with all the normality that exists here and beyond. "You what!?" Vera gaped, but... she''s not against the idea, if she really manages to save them... she''s not going to hold herself back anymore, be Fayette okay with it or not. "As you heard... I''m going to convince them to make a delightful orgy, just the four of us~" Sasha played with her sword while wearing a toothy grim, already imagining the scenario, to have that hunk and those two beautiful ladies in her arms. As a demoness of lust, she can''t help but feel ecstatic. "..." Vera can''t believe what she''s hearing, demonesses are really something else... besides, that idea... it''s easier said than done. Fayette wouldn''t ever accept that, and Valentine... he also doesn''t look like that kind of guy. "And while we''re in the act, I''ll be able to thoroughly have my way with you without you begin able to do anything, flawless, right?~" "Except for the part where I don''t do anything... be it as it may, we still have to get to them first..." Vera left the ''joke'' aside... that wasn''t really a joke to Sasha and focused on her mission. "Yes... the most difficult part, but... we''re already inside..." Looking up to the skies, the moons had already disappeared. "There is no going back... last time we were lucky to leave after less than three months... now, we might spend centuries here, you know?" "I don''t mind spending a century here... as long as I have them with me once we come out..." Vera uttered with bravery, readying her knife as they approached an intersection... before they reached it, however, they found quite an interesting scenario. "AAH!!~" "UGGH!! H-HELP!" They found a demoness thoroughly having her way with a man that was being tortured, she had light pinkish skin and had a body that was leagues behind Sasha''s and Vera''s, in fact... for a demoness, she looked rather young. "..." "..." The two girls stared at one another. "Is this how I looked?" Sasha smirked while the young demoness set her gaze on the two ''peeping toms'' and stopped impaling herself and also, impaling the man that obviously wasn''t enjoying this ''intercourse'' as much as he originally hoped. Yes, when he saw the sexy demoness with the body of an international actress shamelessly offering her ''tongue'' services... he didn''t expect this kind of ''service''. "No, you looked way more slutty~" Vera managed to crack a joke in the current circumstances, truly feeling amused at this ''dejavu''. "I''m a better actress, thank you." "Really? It didn''t look like you were faking it... was it such a good dick?~" "Shut up... it was a small needle... but he had an Onyx soul so, I guess I enjoyed that more..." Sasha rolled her eyes and walked up to the pink-skinned demoness, ready to slaughter her... "This happens more often than I expected..." Vera didn''t stop her from what she was about to do. "W-Wait, there is no need to-" The demoness tried to stand up, not really that experienced, however, all she got was a slice against her pretty neck. *SLASH!!* Blood splattered everywhere as the man gaped at the sudden assassination in front of him. *PUCHI!!* "AAAHHHHHH!!!" He got a knife straight inside his tattoo that he had in his tight and Sasha extracted the carbon crystal. "You have no idea... but I''m hotter than her so... it''s not completely the same... what a waste, he''s just a carbon... but I guess hers is somehow worth it... do you want it?" "Keep his... you can have all the carbon souls and onyx if we find any, but I''m having the demons''..." Vera took the bloodied core of the demoness and immediately eat it as if she had been eating a lollipop. She doesn''t know if she''s becoming stronger or not, but by the fact that she can physically overpower Sasha, it looks like she is. ''I wonder if I will be able to pin you down now, Vale...'' What an imagination she has. ** ** *SLASH!!* "G-GUYS, H-HELP ME! AHHH!!!" *SPLURT!* Vera leisurely swung her knife across one of the human''s chests that surprisingly had a plate on it, but... it couldn''t protect anything. The Rose Eagle Thorn went through human flesh as if it was butter, the plate gave some resistance, but with how much rusty it was, it still succumbed amidst the might of the knife. "AAHHH!!" "Brandon! You! how can you ally yourself with a demon!" One of the men that we''re struggling to keep himself alive amidst the alleyways shouted at Vera who is clearly human, yet she''s partnering with a purple-skinned demoness. In his eyes, whether she''s a human or not seemed doubtful. *SLASH!!!* Sasha cut down his head to make him turn silent, feeling slightly irritated at the ''racism'' within his voice, how dare he?! "This is already the fifth group, but there is no sign of the creature... are you ready for what we''re going to do once we find it?" She collected the crystals through this corridor filled with mist, they still have yet to see the first intersection that has no mist in it. "Yes... once we find it I want you to focus on the vines while I''ll burn the bastard, if it works... then we should be able to make our way through the vines..." That''s basically her plan... "You know that the corridors are almost infinite right? we might not have enough bombs and resources to burn it all until we reach them if that''s your plan..." "There''s only the option of ''trying''... there is nothing else I can say, Sasha... I will do anything... there is a chance that the first times there will be crowds of people, we need an opportunity in which there are not that many cannon fodders... but not so few either... we want the monster to focus on them and leave us room to breathe." Vera already moved through scenarios in her head considering the things she had already gone through. "... got it..." Sasha sighed, not believing that she''s partnering such a nonsensical plan... let alone burn the three, whether she can efficiently parry the vines is still questionable. "Thank you in advance for going along with my selfishness... you''re truly a great friend." She added at the end, giving Sasha a sidelong glance. "Yeah yeah... the friendzone sucks... you get to do all kind of taxing shit for no kiss, no fuck... no nothing... not even a little fingering." Sasha ranted again as she extracted the demons'' crystals and ate them. "How naughty! you''re so hilarious~" Vera laughed heartily... if something she liked about this ''friend'' is her sense of humour. "I''M NOT JOKING DAMMIT!" Chapter 56 - The Netherworlds Curses Many days took by inside the mysterious alleyways until finally... a path that lacked mist opened itself before them. They had moved across the muddy corridors, awaiting the moment a path towards the Mahogany Tree would open, but according to Sasha, it doesn''t open straight away as the encounter with the tree is a double-edged sword... it would put you in danger but also allow you to leave faster if you were brave. "It''s time..." "..." Vera gripped her knife tightly, hyperventilating even, overflowing with nervousness but also thrilled because she''s going to try and save them now. Her stubbornness and determination disallowed her to comprehend the hardships that lay in front or the difficulty of the task at hand. This is the moment she had been ''preparing'' herself for... ''If you go past this hurdle successfully, I''ll tell you my conditions to be my host...'' The knife seemed to finally be willing to speak, it didn''t have any gender defined by its voice, rather... it sounded like nothing less of a demon, a terrifying voice. ''You have been silent for the longest while now, I thought you had gone mute.'' At this stage she still wondered what exactly this thing is, it''s clearly a blade but... it can talk and influence her to some stage, maybe due to the myriad thoughts going through her head, she wouldn''t be able to give this matter a proper consideration until Fayette and Valentine were again within her embrace. ''...'' The Rose Eagle Thorn didn''t answer, it seemed to wait for the result of this mad voyage they were about to undertake. ... "Give me some of those bombs you have prepared, if push comes to shove I''ll throw them too..." Sasha extended her hand as Vera prepared the things. "We have some of this liquid called Sollux that the geezer sold me... we''re coating the weapons with it and lightning it up... some bottles with it and also bombs... we have to use them wisely." Vera took some of them out of her backpack and she then actually gave the backpack to Sasha... "Why are you giving it to me?" "It''s going to be in the way, it would be troublesome if the entire backpack exploded." "... got it." Sasha sighed, aware of the woman''s intentions, still, she''s not about to stop her... as ridiculous as it sounds, as a sinner, Vera has the advantage that her life wouldn''t be at risk as long as her crystal was safe... if her crystal got destroyed, however... that''s another story. ''You got in trouble so quickly after just arriving...'' ... "Let''s go! the moment you see it, run to the back and keep the cannon fodders away from me, I''ll do the rest!" Vera couldn''t resist the impulse to just charge in and start throwing this liquid like crazy, lighting up the entire corridor and burning the bastard to ashes. "I''ll be able to assist you... fire is not efficient against demons, Vera..." "Hmn." ** ** The wails of despair and torrents of people didn''t make themselves wait as torrents of bloody humans ran from the hungry mahogany vines and roots. Vera gaped as she struggled to remain in one place amidst the chaos and place her brown eyes on the creature! There it was! *BOOM!* *BOOM!* Its slow yet frightening steps shook the entire corridor as its roots dug deep inside the corridor that seemed to become infinite the more chaos ensued. No moons shone upon these damned souls, no light... only darkness and damnation, but amidst the chaotic crowd, there were two individuals with a clear objective, not feeling any fear at all. Vera and Sasha appeared amidst a crowd of people that ran and made it nigh-impossible to engage. The humans were so frantically running that they didn''t notice a purple-skinned demoness in between the crowd of pigs ready for butchery. "Dammit, it''s too crowded here!" Vera had to elbow a bastard that seemed to be getting rather ''touchy'', making him fall right on top of a waiting vine. "It seems today''s batch has already arrived! we can''t attack now, let''s wait for a little more!" Sasha yelled and pulled Vera away as she kicked whatever vine tried to entangle around her legs, beneath... there were so many people that she couldn''t even see the vines. "Bastard! stop touching my breasts!" Sasha yelled as she felt someone actually fondling her boobs! "Sorry! it was me! I don''t have grip!" "..." ** ** "We have two options... we can meet the creature head-on... or we can try to burn one of the corridors that''s already closed... but I don''t know if it would be wise to do that." Sasha began as the two of them sat against one of the walls, hugging their knees. "Indeed, if we go along the corridor, in the next intersection there will be some ''closed'' paths... I didn''t think about it, why wouldn''t it be wise?" Vera imagined the scenarios in her head, if they didn''t have to fight the creature, that would have been a better option. "This Mahogany Tree is not as simple as you believe it to be... that''s a creature that''s alive... it''s not a common tree, I advise we first faceoff against one of them to see how we fare." Sasha played with her knife as she explained the situation, Vera is still a human, after all, she doesn''t understand the gimmicks of the netherworld. Vera thinks that''s just a ''tree''... nothing farther from the truth... that''s a creature with the form of a tree. "For a demon, you''re a rather clever one..." "Excuse me?" "I''m just saying..." "Hmph! don''t underestimate demons... we''re not as ''intelligent'' as humans... but what we don''t have in ''intelligence'' we have three times in wickedness and shrewdness..." "Why do you help me this much, Sasha? Also, you have become rather talkative... before you were quieter." Vera doesn''t understand... every single demon they have met since they came here is a wicked bastard that''s up to their own agenda... but she happened to meet Sasha who is clearly different, or at least... that''s the image she has gotten from the latter after months of ''cohabitation''. "You''d be surprised at how much people change when they want a good fuck, we demons are no different~" The demoness smirked and joked, but Vera didn''t laugh at the ''joke'' her face is stern. "I''m serious..." "..." Eventually, Sasha just sighed. "I have my own objective in coming here, Vera... don''t ask further... it''s not against your desires or will cause you any harm." The demoness scratched her hair in annoyance and didn''t speak further. "..." Vera decided to not inquire further. "What exactly is this creature?" "I can''t tell you with accuracy, but going by experience... it''s likely just a mahogany tree... his roots spread through this infinite corridor... through the netherworld, you will find myriad places like this... they were created to torture the sinners and keep them stagnant... this is just another one..." "Is there a way to stop it or kill it?" Vera thought that killing the creature would be enough... the creature is already quite difficult in itself, right? "No... this tree has existed since the beginning of the netherworld itself... it''s so big that its roots spread through the myriad corridors, they''re all a part of it... it''s a curse. Killing one of the creatures is equivalent to killing just one of its roots... nothing else. We can only try to burn it and go from there." Sasha didn''t mind Vera''s curiosity... demons don''t usually reveal this much information, but they''re in this together and the more information Vera has, the more efficient their endeavour will be. The two of them stood up and walked through the corridor towards the next interception where they saw two paths were covered by vines and another one that lacked mist... what awaited on the other side was self-evident. "What did you mean today''s batch?" When they reached their objective before they considered what action they would take, Vera had yet another question to make, she recalled this comment coming from Sasha back then. "You should have noticed, compared to your home, the netherworld is an ''atemporal'' place." The purple-skinned demoness began. "Have you been to the Earth before?" The Russian beauty asked with intrigue, are there truly demons on the Earth? "... No, but I have heard of it... only the strongest demons can go to the Earth, the Earls, Duchesses and the King..." "Carry on what you were saying, about the ''atemporal'' thingy..." The beauty''s curiosity got triggered, and now that she has a demoness whose information she can ''trust'' more so... she''d give all this information to Valentine and Fayette once she saved them. "Present, past and future are illusions created by you humans, a convenient rule indeed, but that doesn''t apply here... you should have noticed, we were here for months, but in the city... only a week took place." "Why is that? how is that even possible?" Indeed, such a thing happened, but it went over her head back then "Don''t try to understand the creator''s designs... there is only a single rule in this place, Vera... remember this." Sasha''s expression seemed to turn stern amidst her explanation, unrealistically so given her personality. "...?" Vera''s ears perked up. "The only rule here is... that a soul won''t ever coincide two times at the same ''moment''... other than that, the netherworld itself decides how ''time'' will be composed given its own designs..." "..." "Millions of sinners arrive in the netherworld every week, thousands every day... from all over the creation, regardless of past, present and future, perhaps even dimension... we''re not clear and we don''t care... as long as they have souls we can devour. The place they arrive is decided by a single individual, it could be either the same way you all arrived or it could be straight inside this Mahogany Tree''s branches, they''re sent by a single individual..." "Who?" "The Archon, Azrael..." When mentioning that name a certain glint could be seen moving through Sasha''s eyes, one that Vera didn''t notice. "Archon?" Vera doesn''t know who this ''Azrael'' is, but she noticed a certain detail in Sasha''s words that called for her attention, still, she said nothing... not now. "..." Sasha seemed to be in a world of her own, not answering. "How do you know all this Sasha?" She asked next, trying to see if the demoness would finally come out of her own thoughts. "It''s something that demons know after living long enough, once you too have roamed through the corners of this hell enough, you will know things that others aren''t bound to know." "So what should we do now, do tell? we''re testing against one of the trees first?" This idea of hers seemed to be the most logical one. "That we should... let''s keep going until the number of humans decreases, giving us enough room to act... dozens of thousands are roaming this endless maze... I hope you understand that finding the place where they are... is extremely difficult, perhaps even impossible... there are millions of corridors..." "I don''t care... I''ll... keep going until I can no more, Sasha... that''s my decision..." "You''re a headstrong one, but I like it..." "Let''s head back straight away, I don''t want to waste time." Chapter 57 - Blood Thirst Senses Overflow The two companions had to go through a total of ten cycles before they noticed the number of humans in the corridors decreasing swiftly. The dark corridors progressively became more hoarse as the blood of the fallen coated the corridors. In one of such chances, they had a great encounter! *CLANG!* Vera''s knife pierced through the enemy''s knife as she struggled to keep her place, this demon is not a pushover, she can recognise him! "IT''S YOU!" The demon that attacked Valentine like a slippery rat back then! It''s a dark-skinned demon with two big horns. The demon smirked when he saw his short sword get pierced and glared at the Rose Eagle Thorn with greed in his eyes as the purple-skinned Sasha regarded everything while on guard, her attention set on Vera. "Oh? you''re one of the protectors, you''re still here... I guess that bastard has met his end by now, so much for a protector~" The demon started to run the moment the vines regained their vigour, but how could Vera let him go, this demon is strong, surely his core is tasty! "Shut up!" ''KILL HIM! DEVOUR HIM!'' The bloody knife seemed to scream with increasing demand, forming a small headache in her head at its bloodlust. ''You don''t have to tell me twice!'' But the influence had already phased through, she''s no longer the same... yes, she craves to devour as well, even if her fundamental values haven''t changed, Vera Sidorov now craves to eat demon cores and crystals, they''re no longer disgusting as they used to be in the forest, they''re tasty! Vera ran after him while followed by a sighing Sasha, they evaded the Vines with increasing dexterity, having repeated this so many times, Vera has somehow gotten used to patterns, right now whether she survives one of the corridors is not a question, it''s a fact, it''s not about strength, so long as she could understand how the vines work, she can evade them. And this dark-skinned demon is no different. Even after the three of them moved through one of the intersections, Vera never stopped tailing after the demon. "You''re a nasty one!" "Give your filthy core, bastard!" Seeing that Vera was courting death with insistence, in an empty corridor, the dark-skinned demon decided to steal that knife from her, it''s obviously better than his cracked one. "Come here then!" He believes himself to be more skilled than this filthy protector. Once he stopped, rather than rushing harshly, Vera regarded Valentine''s instructions in her head, she knows she can''t blindly rush forward onto a waiting enemy, still she evaluated the demon''s position and looked for any flaws. "Don''t involve, Sasha... I want to test myself against him." "He''s not a pushover..." "I know, that''s why!" *SLASH!* Vera sent a testing slash that got countered with the demon''s counterattack as he evaded, due to his short sword being cut, their weapons were roughly the same length, but Vera''s knife is obviously way sharper, a single hit from her could be lethal for the demon. "I''ll make sure to take your soul with that knife, girl... you must be at least an onyx! and then you two, filthy bitch once I slice her neck, you will follow!" The demon, seeing her reluctance to engage proactively, started to slash forward, drawing Vera back into a defensive position, he knows that for her to have this skill and even have a demoness as her ally, she must not be carbon by any means. Vera grit her teeth and kept parrying the slashes, but the demon had skills with the sword, cutting her several times, still, she didn''t lose her calm, the man has been clashing their weapons in a way that will allow him to slide through rather than parry with strength, keeping the integrity of his weapon, therefore, she only has to force him! *BANG!* She took a chance to keep the man''s right leg that had been more to the front than his left leg, the demon stumbled, surprised at Vera''s physical strength as his thrill increased in-pace with his indignance, how could this human have physical strength enough to counter him!? "Die!" He increased his vigour, but with that came a barrage of flaws that moved through Vera''s mind as if in front of her it was Fayette instead of this demon, but... this ''Fayette'' unlike the real one that she adores, is making a lot of mistakes. *SLASH!!* She made such an accurate cut, that it went through the demon''s fingers, cutting them easily and making him drop his sword! Vera carried on with a kick to the gut that drew the demon back, and kept her onslaught, the dark-skinned fiend got forced into the defensive as she went as far as to pick up his sword and throw ravenous hits one after the other. The demon grit his teeth in indignance and tried to flee as he had clearly underestimated this protector, but how would Vera allow him to? When she saw him running, she took her sword and threw it as if it was a spear, impaling the demon''s leg and making him stumble! "Got you!" She lunged on the fallen demon and sliced her knife through his skull relentlessly until she made sure the bastard is thoroughly dead. ''As expected of a demon of pride... it was his downfall, a pity... he was a talented youngling, I''m surprised that with this skill he''s not yet a demon soldier... he must be quite young and inexperienced.'' Sasha evaluated the entire situation and had to lift an eyebrow in admiration at Vera''s increasing skills. ''Also, nothing less from someone that is with ''him''... Rose Thorn, so that''s what you were.'' Vera''s eyes shone in a red glint when she extracted the shining bloody core that seemed no different from a snack in front of her eye, plundering it away from the desolated corpse of a demon of pride. A part of her even felt graced, as if she had slaughtered that bitch that lay her arms on her man, Lucretia Descartes. She had also been a dark-skinned demoness, a powerful one that even the current her couldn''t even hope to defeat. *CRUNCH!!* The core seemed to melt in her mouth as she swallowed it right away without any consideration to whether Sasha would want it or not... this is her prey, she hunted it! ... "... are you done?" Sasha who had been sitting to the side, eventually called out to her... when not even the bones were left. It''s incredible how quickly she devoured an entire corpse... just like that. Still, she doesn''t feel any fear of approaching Vera. "Y-Yes... sorry, I lost myself there for a minute." Vera''s eyes quivered with a red glint, her hands shivered in ecstasy as well as fear... how exactly did this happen? why again? initially, she just craved the core... that delicious core, but before she even knew... her jaws were crushing bones. She really just devoured the entire body of a demon that''s visually bigger than her? how is that even possible? why is her stomach not building at all? She devoured an individual''s whose weight in mass should be way greater than her own yet her belly is not even full!? Still, the Rose Eagle Thorn shone with a dark brilliance, in extreme satisfaction. Sasha regarded all this with utter nonchalance, to her, this is not uncommon. "Yes, I know... Zamira was much the same... the Rose Eagle Thorn''s influence is strong... don''t let it control you, Vera." Yes, she could recall their encounter back then... they fucked and the woman still dared to leave her just to follow a slightly powerful demon that passed close by, the Rose Eagle Thorn can''t suppress her bloodlust regardless of the circumstances... it''s a part of the deal that implies becoming stronger. "It might be too late already, Sasha..." Vera stood up and sighed at her bloodied attire, she did it again. "I think this generation''s Sinister Sundew will have it difficult with someone like you around" Sasha smirked evilly at the thought. "Sinister Sundew?" The Russian beauty''s zircon eyes contemplated Sasha as the words resounded with poison within her mind. Just listening to this name, she felt like killing already. "If you don''t know yet, you will know when the knife decides to tell you, I''m sure it''s more than a little delighted now that you''re having such a banquet for its sake... as the Rose Thorn, this mahogany tree is perhaps one of the best places for you to be aside from the ''Forbidden Rendezvous'' that is... "What kind of place is it?" "Well, it''s a place where hundreds of people, humans are demons are placed in the same coliseum, closed... for several centuries... everything is allowed inside, you can already imagine what happens inside... it''s one of the Lust Circle''s main attractions for tourists... the orgies that produce inside... they''re exquisite~" Uttering those words, Sasha licked her "Have you participated in one of them?" Vera stood up and pulled Sasha whose exquisite body wiggled and bounced. "... No, not them... something else more appealing." The purple-skinned demoness spoke cryptically and prepared to set off once again. "Doesn''t sound convincing... that means you''re a voyeur and have seen them all the way to the end?~" "I... AM NOT... A VOYEUR...." Chapter 58 - Burning Past, Scalding Wood "Are you ready? there should be way fewer humans now..." The pair of beauties with bloodied rags which only further incited those of questionable souls into being lured to the abyss by their alluring bodies, stood up in front of an intersection with two paths with cursed mahogany vines, and another free shadowy path where there wasn''t any mist coming out of it. Now, it''s time for the truth... for real, and Vera''s quivering body served as proof of this fact. "I''m ready, have the bottles and the bombs ready." Sasha answered, not as nervous as her human companion if she could still be called that after her last stunt, she held a bottle filled with the inflammable Sollux liquid in her hand. "Do you know how the bombs work?" Vera took out some of the bombs, but the more she looked at them, the more she didn''t know how the fuck she should use them! Is she supposed to just throw them at the beast? do they work like dynamite charges? but she can''t see any string to light it up from! "No, I don''t..." She admitted with shame and passed one the deadpanning Sasha. *SIGH!* "Okay, it''s like this, you got a lighter, right?" She had to ask, the worst scenario possible is that this Russian klutz forgot the most important thing when it came to producing fire... "Of course I did, who do you think I am?!" "..." ** ** Turns out this ''ball'' only needs to be heated up until it starts to flicker in red light, of course, they didn''t test it now as the number is limited and they can''t afford to waste one of them just like that. "How do you know this, Sasha?" Perhaps due to her quivering legs, Vera tried to asks ridiculous questions with shivering lips, only to get her bloodied hand pulled roughly by Sasha! "WHO CARES?! LET''S GO! GO! WE''RE SAVING YOUR LOVERS!" The demoness took her hand and rushed inside the alleyway''s intersection, bomb-in-hand! "THEY''RE NOT MY LOVERS! UGH! YEAH LET''S GO!!" ... "AAAAAHHHHH!!!" "H-HELP ME! I-CAN''T!! UGH!!! I-IT GOT ME!!" Said and done, they arrived in front of the chaos yet again, but Vera''s nervousness was not as she regarded this horrifying creature, she has already seen it dozens of times, her apprehension is caused by something else. Will this work? will she be able to save them with this? When the moment of the truth came, she feared at all her efforts would be for nothing, that this creature would shrug away this fire just as it had done with the slashes, that she wouldn''t be able to save the two individuals that she cares for. But... as the creature stood in front of her, walking heavily as its vines swiped through with fury, looking for prey, she tightened her teeth and smiled. It doesn''t matter if it works or not... what matters is that she''s giving it her all to save the two people she cares for the most... she didn''t run away and hide, she wasn''t a ''coward''... she came here on her own volition, without being controlled by anybody... not by Lev, not by Fayette, not by Valentine. She''s here because she wants to be here! Therefore, she took one of those bottles filled with the inflammable liquid, and threw it at the creature! *BAANGG!!!* The sollux splashed all over th creature as the bottle broke! "SASHA!!" "HERE!! THROW IT QUICKLY!" The demoness had already been heating up the ball and kicking the vines, she passed it to Vera as if it was a hot potato, the ball flickered with a red haze, indicating that it was activated! "TAKE THIS BITCH! GIVE THEM BACK NOW!!!" Filled with determination and even faith, Vera threw that ball at the creature and braced for impact, she doesn''t know how potent this thing is. The ball hit the creature on the face like a rock and fell pitifully on the ground, still flickering, faster every second. Vera and Sasha regarded all this, they don''t know how potent this charge is as they have different qualities, Sasha awaited the explosion as she knows how it works already, but Vera regarded it with disappointment. ... *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!------------- "HOLY SH- UGH!!" Vera and Sasha were blasted through the corridor by the sheer shockwave, the vines burned together with their skin! "WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" The pained wails of a creature revered through the hallowed corridor and into Vera''s pleasured eardrums sounded better than Valentine grunting in pleasure against her ears. Because that this damned bastard tree got hurt! That shit was potent... Her eyes opened as she regained herself together with Vera, they were blasted at least ten metres away and she felt it through her entire body. She saw a scalding ball of flames encompassing the furious creature, burning its skin as if preparing it for barbeque and her blood boiled. ''IT WORKS, IT WORKS!!'' "HAAAAA!!" She stood up with haste in front of the stupefied Sasha, she didn''t expect that bomb to be so potent... she stood up and undusted herself lightly, preparing to throw yet another one, and that''s when she saw something ridiculous! "VERA!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Vera took her Rose Eagle Thorn and started to slash the creature''s limbs crazily, burning herself in the process! The Russian beauty''s skin burned, pained her, destroyed her skin, scalded her raw flesh but she didn''t care! She has been through worse burning, right now, the only thing that can enter her accursed red eyes is that this creature is being cut! The ''limbs'' can be sliced now unlike before! The vines withered through the fire together with the corpses of the humans that had been entangled beneath. "GIVE THEM BACK TO ME!! GIVE THEM BACK!!!" Sasha gaped at what her eyes were witnessing, this woman, doesn''t she feel pain? She can literally see Vera''s raw flesh burning, but the woman''s scalding Rose Eagle Thron won''t stop sinking inside the creature''s body until it fell. *BOOOOMMMMM!!!* The creature fell back onto its own withering vines, and that''s when Vera carried on... she took a bottle even as her flesh burned and threw it at the vines behind, even coating her own flesh with it! "VERA!!!" How can she continue like this!? Sasha seemingly forgot the burning hell Vera went through together with Valentine and Fayette, how many times had fire and ashes rained on them? She''s already used to this pain, perhaps, she''d rather be burned by now than suffer any piercing damage. The beauty didn''t heed, she started to cut her way through the corridor, her hot knife cutting better than before as the vines burned the corridor, leaving a mist of smoke that extended through the place. She found bodies being tortured, vines protruding through the sockets where eyes were supposed to be, piercing the organs, killing the consciousness of those damned souls that were unlucky enough to fall on its grasp. And the more she saw this, the more determined she became, as she imagined her Valentine and her Fayette going through something like this, she couldn''t take it... therefore, she splashed more of that liquid and continued moving through the corridor together with an awestruck Sasha. As the corridor finished, she slashed the last burned vines as her body no longer resembled that of a human... right now she''s just a cluster of burned skin. They appeared in one intersection and the entire place seemed to shake for some reason, as if the Mahogany tree was in deep agony, twisting and turning its roots across this multi-dimensional torture chamber. Vera delighted at those shakes, she could feel it... but even then, her body just slumped on the ground as Sasha took her. "That was ridiculous, Vera! What were you thinking!?" Sasha''s voice was frantic, this is perhaps the craziest human she has seen in a while, how can she go through this kind of torture so casually?! ''Could it be because of the Rose Eagle Thorn?'' That''s the only possibility, there is no conceivable way that a human that has no mutation can go through such pain without losing her consciousness, that is unless... she''s a silver soul? or a golden soul? Not even a bronze can go through this kind of torture and remain sane. What are the odds? ... "I thought... that I want to save them no matter what, Sasha... I want to see their faces again... please, help me... just until I heal... cover me." Vera panted only now did the pain come back through her sensors past the ecstasy and the thrill of the moment. Vera Sidorov lost her consciousness right at that moment. She didn''t find them but she felt satisfied due to the fact that this method works with sparkles and wonders... she has succeeded. As long as she keeps doing it, even if it takes a thousand years to find them, she will find them eventually. There is hope! Sasha regarded the burned Vera and pressed her tightly against her chest, myriad thoughts moved through her mind regarding the incident that just took place. ''Stupid girl... no wonder he can''t forget you... going to such an extent...'' Sasha took the girl into a calmed corridor and had her sleep on her lap, she had done splendidly.... but there must be a more effective way than this. Chapter 59 - Incinerated Alleyways "You shouldn''t have been so imprudent, Vera..." As the demoness saw the beauty''s eyes open once again after an entire day of rest, those were the first words she uttered. Even after an entire day, she still had most of her body burned, and she was naked too, obviously, all of her clothes perished at that moment. "Don''t act like my mother now, Sasha... she disappointed me in the end." Vera rolled her eyes, struggling to get up but unable to, she felt as if she had become a statue. "I''m serious..." Sasha''s visage turned stern. "..." Vera evaded her gaze, she''s not willing to apologise or regret this, she felt like a new person, as if her previous self that had been a mere slut used for others'' convenience had perished amidst the flames, shedding her skin and turning her into a new individual. An exotic woman that has desires and wants to go through with them, she hadn''t realised but indeed, she''s not a common woman. If she had seen her crystal inside her tight... she would have realised that she''s no longer a bronze, she''s now a bonafide silver soul, just like Fayette. ... "There must be a better way to do it... you lost three bottles and we only have a little more than twenty... you''re naked too..." Sasha took something from the backpack that she had been holding. "..." Vera regarded her body that was restored at a faster rate than usual, but even then after an entire day she hasn''t been completely healed, she knows by the fact that it would usually take the three of them a little more than three days to heal... Valentine does slightly faster, presumably due to his golden soul, but then why can she heal in a single day? the only answer that courses through her mind is the Rose Eagle Thorn. Just how much is this knife changing her? She wonders. "Here, take these clothes... they should protect you a little more against fire, try to not burn them... I don''t have another set." Sasha pulled a set of clothes that was nothing more than pants, a shirt and a few plates, she had no shoes and Vera didn''t need them either. "How did you get them?" Vera struggled to stand up with her ''fixed'' body and touched the clothes'' fibre, thinking that they''re good quality, how did Sasha get these clothes? "I bought them with the money you gave me." The purple-skinned seductress spoke half-heartedly with her purple eyes shining slightly. "Wasn''t it enough to get you all this?" Vera furrowed her brows and started to dress up on those clothes, she had given her 450.000, theoretically, that should have been enough for the clothes if she hadn''t also bought weapons... weapons that turned out to be of great quality as well. Spending so much time with Valentine that gave considerable thought to every single detail, this gimmick moved onto his ''disciple as well, even if she''s not as detailed as him. "... Yes, I came upon a place that was giving offers to sexy demonesses" Sasha smirked and shamelessly ogled Vera''s wiggly ass. "What are you hiding from me, Sasha?" The auburn-haired beauty shot a bullet out of the sudden that left Sasha slightly bewildered. "... what are you talking about? you sound like a jealous girlfriend~" The demoness brushed off the words as a joke. "I''m your girl-friend... right? tell me... I don''t want to get disappointed later after having given you my trust." Vera took Sasha''s arm now with a more concerned look as she could feel that the demoness is indeed hiding something for a while now, she doesn''t want to sin for naivety... Valentine and Fayette''s teaching kept constantly ringing in her head. And the two of them would absolutely never trust someone with Sasha''s background much less if she''s hiding something, what she''s doing is mostly due to her instincts and forsaking their teachings for once. She doesn''t want to be betrayed, especially now that she''s technically trusting Sasha with her life. "No, you''re a piece of ass I want to fuck, and I''m a piece of ass that you need help from... there are no ''friends'' in here... I reject the friendzone." Seeing that the woman intended to keep going, Sasha pulled their bodies together, maybe because of how Vera would react, but the Russian beauty exceeded her expectations Vera''s gaze never left its sternness and she didn''t push her away, she wants answers. "Don''t evade the subject, answer me." "I''m not hiding anything from you that you must know, Vera... leave it at that and get dressed, will you? or I''m going to assault you right here, I''m holding back from fondling those breasts of yours" It was her who pushed Vera away with care as the latter is still injured, and turned around, intending to sit down against the wall until she''s healed. "Could it be that you''re a man in disguise?" Vera shivered slightly, prepared to dig her knife in her neck were that to be the case. Not because she''s a male, but because she concealed it this long clearly with ill intentions! !!! "Oh no! how can you think of that! those disgusting things!" Sasha''s face seemed to become more purple than it already was, as if she''s about to puke, much to Vera''s amusement. "Hmph! You always speak like a perverted grandpa so I had to ask... also, you don''t have the balls to push me down~" Vera perked up her butt to further taunt the demoness who only growled at her as a response. "You''re right, I don''t... now, stop moving that butt up and fro... don''t have me grow them just for your sake, okay?" Sasha rolled her eyes and hugged her knees, leaving the subject but also content that Vera stopped her detective facade. "Hmph, if you do anything to me, my future boyfriend will slaughter you..." Vera sat beside her and waited for her body to be completely healed, not knowing that she just gave Sasha the best topic to cling onto! "Oh, so you have decided to break the status quo?" The gossiping Grandma seemed to suddenly grow strongly in Sasha who didn''t hesitate to flush their bodies together, intending to know more! "I wouldn''t go through this torture to save them just to stay the same way it was before... I want more... with the two of them." Vera, trusting Sasha, also didn''t conceal anything as this thought has indeed been in her mind. Her feelings for Valentine? they''re more than assured, she''s infatuated, but what about Fayette? she has come to realise that she misses her too, and perhaps as much as she does Valentine. "Oh! A ''Bi''... I like you more now, and you still refuse my advances!? you vixen!~" Her hand started to crawl slowly towards the latter''s breasts! *SLAP!* "Auch! Meanie!" Sasha caressed her slapped hand with a pout, this woman is truly not delicate at all. "I''m not any ''Bi''! it''s just... I only now came to realise that I like Faye just as much... even if a part of me wants to kill her." She uttered those words with complete normalcy. "W-What?" And indeed, her words made Sasha stop and gape, perhaps courting Vera now doesn''t sound like a good idea. "Yes... I''m sure it''s the Rose Eagle Thorn, but... sometimes I see images... images of me killing Faye, strangling her, stabbing her... I think it''s jealousy... but it''s strange because I''m sure that I like her quite a bit." Vera sighed in confusion, she knows Fayette is very important for her. But each time she sees her and Valentine be intimate with one another, she can''t help but grow a little... restless. Perhaps she just wants to be let into that, she knows Valentine''s reason to reject is because of his consideration towards Fayette''s feelings, therefore, in her mind... the only reason they''re not sharing such a fulfilling relationship is because of Fayette. Hence why she has those... nightmares often. Those aren''t the only nightmares she has though, she also has dreams... dreams where she''s taken by Valentine in special places, they make love for a long time and then he leaves... those delightful dreams. Then some other nightmares where she''s killing people... killing and killing and devouring nonstop. She can only associate those with the Rose Thorn. "..." ''The Rose Eagle Thorn is causing that? I haven''t heard of such a thing happening to Zamira at that time... perhaps they weren''t in the same circumstances and therefore, she didn''t have those images?'' Sasha theorized but it was inconclusive. "So, you love her?" she asked the important question. "I don''t think I so... but I like her... I want to be together with the two of them and not be left behind, that''s what I''m sure of, so stop changing the subject." Vera giggled, yes, the ultimate conclusion is that she wants to travel through this hell together with the two of them, not anyone else... not even Sasha, just the three of them. "What about me then?" Sasha approached lustily, expecting a good answer. "You''re just a piece of ass I need help from~" But she was disappointed. "You''re so cold... since that''s the case, does that mean I get to fuck you at least once?~" The demoness licked her lips and continued her taunt, just once is enough. "No... well, who knows...?" Vera blushed and evaded her gaze, still not believing she''s considering doing those things with a woman, it might sound odd given her background, but she has never done it... and right now, she imagined herself, Valentine and Fayette... in a comfy bed. ''There are a lot of things I want to do after saving you, guys...'' Yes, she''s going to experiment a lot. "OH! You changed your answer!" "If you go along with what you mentioned before... perhaps, there is a 1% per cent chance, I will allow you to lick my legs~" "That doesn''t sound like a good deal... I don''t have that filthy fetish... I can kiss your cunny instead and we have a deal?" As a proper demon, Sasha bargained. "Dream on... I''m not into women." ''Yet...'' "Say that after you have kissed that blondie..." Sasha giggled, already convinced that Vera is destined to curse through the abyss of lust, she has such as stud and a blonde bombshell as her companions... can a spark of flame light up in a dry forest without burning it? She doesn''t believe so. "Are you ready? what should we do now...?" Having been embarrassed enough, Vera decided to stand up and fuck off out of here before her face burns more than the tree itself. "Deviating the subject huh? don''t worry... we will get there." "Get serious..." "What? we''re just going to look for the most efficient way to burn those branches, now that we know it works, we only need to make it last... we have... 19 bottles and seven bombs... it''s not very hopeful. we won''t be able to go through many corridors with this much." "If we run out of them, we can just escape the alleyways and then come back with more... yes, but that''s not an option... remember that a day outside is an indefinite amount of time in here... that''s why I told you, this is a nigh-impossible job, Vera... if we leave one day, who knows how many more corridors will be formed, it''s in the millions or perhaps more already..." "I have faith, Sasha... we will do it, believe me." "Are you asking a demon to have faith?" Sasha seemed to take deep offence on that, but Vera didn''t care. "Yes! I have faith! I''ll definitely find them and kiss them soon! so long as I can burn that tree!" "...." Chapter 60 - Mysterious Demoness "I think we should try to see if the hot knife will go through..." Vera took her knife within her palm and prepared to heat it up, right now the most cost-effective method they have to test their way out of this mess is to simply heat up the knife until it was scalding hot. The Rose Eagle Thorn didn''t seem to mind this. ''Can you help in any way!?'' She asked her knife, perhaps this thing has some magical qualities or something. ''...'' But the knife seemed to be deeply asleep! ''Piece of junk!'' This damned thing is too unreliable, all it does is scream kill this, kill that... it hasn''t even stated the conditions... well, she also hasn''t gone past the hurdle. "Okay, here..." Sasha''s actions startled Vera when she seemingly took a bone out of her boots. "Where did you get that...?" Those were the only words she could utter as the demoness passed her the piece of bone that had been obviously ''chewed''. "I pulled it out of your mouth, miraculously..." Sasha sighed and prepared to take out some sollux that she coated on the bone meticulously. "... sorry." The beauty apologised for the hundredth time, truly ashamed that someone had to pull a bone out of her mouth as if she was a wild hound. "We can light it up and have something that burns, that way we won''t waste so much sollux." Sasha explained and prepared to light up the bone, with that, until the bone consumed they could use this fire. *RUMBLE!!* A shockwave seamlessly spread through the entire corridor the moment the fire lit up, and they could witness with their eyes how the vines rustled in fear! *WOOSH!* They seemed to visually ''shake'' in front of this fire! "Let''s do it!" This sign was enough for Vera to want to give it a try straight away, she placed the Rose Eagle Thorn a top of the fire for a few minutes until the blade was shining hot, surprisingly, she felt her entire body get hotter but not to a painful degree. Leaving this up for later she tried to cut the vine with the knife, and it did cut, but it is still way slower than the method they used before. "It cuts better, but it''s just going to make it longer..." Vera sighed and kept cutting several other rustling branches, unaware of the danger creeping through the darkness, the Mahogany Tree wasn''t going to let itself be cut so easily by a filthy human and a demoness. "Cut a few branches and light them up, we ca- CAREFUL!" Sasha, who had been trying to utter something glared at the sudden ''limb'' that protruded from the root-covered intersection, it was trying to impale Vera''s head! *WOOSSH!!* !!!! *BAANGG!!* The root impacted heavily against the corridor''s wall, even denting some of the bricks! "JUST THROW THE BOTTLE, WE WILL SEE HOW ELSE WE CAN DO IT LATER!" *SPLASH!* *WHOOSSH!!* Sasha did as Vera said, throwing the bottle of sollux against the viny corridor that quickly lit up in hellish fire. This time, however, Vera was smarter, she can go through the pain indeed, but she wouldn''t if she could help it! "Let''s wait and see if it will keep burning on its own... I was anxious last time, but we can''t waste resources no matter what." Sasha nodded but as they kept regarding the burning corridor, one of those wooden ''golems'' formed amidst the roots! "GROAAAA..." The creature immediately started to burn, but its roots tried to take out the fire! "STOP IT!" *SLASH!!* The two girls charged at the burning corridor as Vera tried to cut the creature''s scalding limbs, burning herself in the process... Sasha too tried to do it, but her sword wasn''t doing as much damage as Vera''s. She gave the girl a sharp glare as they kept cutting, *RUMBLE!* Vera didn''t notice how a black fire covered Sasha''s sword due to the dark of the corridor and even with the light coming from the fire, it wasn''t enough for her to notice! *SLASH!!* "WHOAAAA!!" The moment the seductress cut again, this time she cut the entire vine, having it fall on the ground... but her sword started to slowly melt under the might of this black fire. ''Too weak... I can''t use it much...'' She threw Vera another glare, the latter was focused on cutting the vines even as sparkles of scalding burning wood fell on their bodies. "It''s good, let''s just kill the creatures when they appear, the corridor will turn on itself, Vera..." She pulled an anxious Vera, not allowing the latter to become a ball of fire again, destroying her clothes. The Russian lady sighed and started to take the pieces of scalding wood and throw them forward, trying to keep the fire alive, indeed, this is a better method, but a lengthier one, who knows how long it will take to go through a single corridor like this? She saw the bodies on the ground, contorting in pain, there were dozens... "Get the crystals... if it happens that we have to come out to get more sollux, we''re going to need money..." Sasha asserted and Vera nodded in acknowledgement, indeed... she doesn''t have any more money. Even if they meet a demon, she might have to store the core instead of eating it this time, the beauty soured at the thought, portraying the knife''s feelings. The two girls carried on with their path, looking for a pair of humans amidst the possibly millions, or dozens of millions... ** ** Two weeks had taken place, their resources are almost finished, they had only two bottles left and no bombs... Vera''s tears have dried and she slept on Sasha''s lap. Today she found a couple that resembled Valentine and Fayette, but it wasn''t them... they obtained so many crystals and cores from trapped demons that they no longer fit in the backpack. But the ones they''re after, haven''t been found. ''W-Why? why is it so difficult to find you...'' Sasha grit her teeth as her two horns seemed to shine. "HOW LONG DO YOU PLAN TO TORTURE THEM!?" She shouted to the desolate alleyways... it sounded as if she was complaining to the mahogany tree as if she was letting her feelings out on the accursed tree that''s torturing them, but... why? "..." As expected, no one answered her rant. "THAT''S ALL YOUR RIDICULOUS FAITH IS WORTH! SHE HAS FAITH IN YOU, AND LOOK! NOTHING! JUST LIKE ALWAYS!" "..." She mocked her own stupidity, why would she even try to speak to ''him''? he''s too lofty for individuals such as them, forsaken ones that can only run through these bloody alleyways with a decaying hope. She felt so much wrath, she can''t find the person she was looking for, and Vera keeps talking about faith, about how she''s faithful that they will find them. Isn''t she aware of the odds? There should be billions of corridors! from the primordial times of hell, people being tortured in here for eternity, how are they supposed to find just two people! She came here with that objective, but even someone like her is starting to lose the light... "Back then... I don''t regret having forsaken your altar... profaning it! I was right, you don''t answer pleas of aid, back then... ''that fool'' had cheated! IT WASN''T YOU! I DON''T REGRET IT ONE BIT!" She shouted her complaint to the skies, to this alleyways, to the mahogany tree, perhaps even to the Demon King. And this time, Sasha was bound to be surprised for eternity as her eyes flickered in utter astonishment. !!!!! "YOU WILL, JEZEBEL." ** ** When Vera woke up, the first thing she saw was the underside of Sasha''s big chest. She rubbed her eyes again, not understanding... the second thing she witnessed was the latter''s astonished eyes. How long had it been? for some reason, Sasha looks a little ''perturbed''. "Sasha? are you okay?" She asked with concern, this is the first perturbed expression she has conceived in the purple-skinned seductress as if she just saw a ghost. "..." "Sasha?" She frowned further when she didn''t respond, but her worries were short-lived. "A-Ah... Vera..." "Is everything alright? you look scared..." Vera raised up from her lap, moving her head back and fro, looking for threats. "It''s o-okay... let''s go, we can''t waste time." Sasha rubbed her head, moving her thoughts away from the words she heard a few hours ago. ''It had been just a few words, why am I so worked up?'' She grits her teeth in front of the still bewildered Vera. "We only have two bottles left... after this... we can''t stay here anymore... also, more creatures are appearing now than before." "... I know, but we have to keep going... so far we have only cleared thirty corridors... that''s nowhere near enough." Vera took a bottle and prepared to follow the standard procedure. They would cut a branch, coat it with sollux, lit it up and throw it to the vines, splash some more and the fire would spread... then they would try to cut down the creatures that popped up trying to clear the fire. ... They kept following this until the last bottle became apparent, but then... the miracle happened, only that they didn''t know at that time. A door... there is a door in the wall. Vera and Sasha looked at one another, this door had been inside this corridor, and in this corridor, there wasn''t a single body. "W-What should we do, Sasha...?" Vera was actually scared, this is the first corridor they have seen that has a door, it looked like an old wooden door and roots could be seen creeping from the edges, rustling. It looked eerie and terrifying. "I don''t know... you decide." Sasha grit her teeth, aware of what this represents and anger seeped through her bones as ''his'' words revered in her mind. ''YOU WILL....'' Chapter 61 - Mahogany Trees Teardrops The door creaked open with difficulty, blocked by the harsh roots that protruded from the edges. Knife-in-hand, Sasha and Vera entered the place with cautiousness, who knows what they''re going to find here. The visage that awaited them was that of a corridor filled with roots. "What should we do? this doesn''t look safe... if any of those creatures or more appear here, we''re going to be in trouble." Vera asserted the situation, this corridor is too slim and there is only one exit through the door. if push comes to shove they can burn the entire place and run but that would mean using what they have left. "I don''t think they''re going to be inside this place, but... this might be a once in a lifetime opportunity, are you sure you want to give it away? it''s likely no one has ever reached these passages." Sasha stood up beside her, regarding the entire place with a keen eye. This passage is truthfully something she hasn''t seen, but... there are precedents. "You don''t have the slightest idea of what awaits inside? why would you say it''s an opportunity?" "According to the legends, sometimes... humans would be allowed inside the curse''s core by the curse itself... I don''t know what the requirements are, I only know it has happened before as for what you can find inside, I don''t know either... sometimes it''s weapons... or treasures... or... abilities..." ''Perhaps, such is the origin of the Rose Eagle Thorn and the Sinister Sundew... could it be because... she somehow broke the curse?'' Sasha regarded Vera''s thinking expression with a handful of thoughts of her own. "Let''s go in, so far... it''s not attacking." The two beauties started to walk through the corridors, and that''s when it started. !!!! The vines protruded and the roots twisted, showing their threatening behaviour, towards Sasha! "Looks like it''s only you that it wants... Vera, if you decide to go... have your bottles ready, shout if you need me, alright?" Sasha decided to just remain here and wait for her. After giving it some consideration Vera stilled herself, after trying for so long, even she is starting to get a grip of the difficulty of this endeavour, if there is a way to hasten the process, she will do it. Vera nodded and grasped one of the bottles tightly together with the lighter, the tree seemed to not care about her threatening manners as she stepped inside the passage, leaving a nervous Sasha. ''I hope you find something and come back... I can''t find ''him'' without you...'' ** ** As vera walked through the long passage of twisting roots, several mahogany branches raised up as if to stare at her, but they never attacked her. ''What exactly is this place?'' She wondered within her mind, reassured that at least she''s not being attacked, but if the tree were to do it, she''d be likely fucked. ''This is my core, I led you here...'' A rather feminine elderly voice spoke to her as if the voice of a very old grandma! !!!! ''W-WHO ARE YOU!?'' Vera stopped in her tracks and turned her head frantically to the vines that were encircling her. ''I''m one of the cursed regiments of wrath... the tree of violence and reprieve.'' The voice continued to explain as the branches started to push Vera along the passage, a little anxious. ''Y-You... you are that accursed tree?!'' Vera couldn''t do anything except keep walking forward, but she can''t believe right now someone is talking inside her mind, this is clearly not her own consciousness or her voice. ''Yes...'' The tree didn''t get offended at the ''accursed'' part. ''What is your name?'' ''I don''t have a name nor do I have a desire for one... this between you and me is a one-time encounter...'' The tree followed and Vera felt outraged! Why is this thing asking for a one-night-stand all of the sudden!? ''Give them back!'' Seeing that the tree is just a perverted being, gone was any politeness, Vera went straight for what she wanted. ''It won''t be that simple... you want something, and I want something...'' The tree''s grandma-like voice suddenly turned wicked, like a scheming granny. ''I won''t let you have your way with my body!'' ''... Excuse me?'' Now it''s the tree that''s surprised... the fuck? ''I said you won''t have your way with my body!'' Vera kept her line of thoughts, that''s definitely what this accursed tree is after! ''Why would I want to do that...? *sigh* I thought I found intelligent life... come back from whence you came, girl... you''re no longer qualified...'' The vines started to push Vera out! ''Wait wait!! I was joking!'' The girl resisted, knowing that she messed up, thankfully... the bipolar vines stopped and pushed her in again... ''Leave your jokes for later, girl... I don''t have the time, now come...'' ''I thought you said I''m no longer qualified...?'' ''I was joking...'' ''Y-YOU!'' ** ** The Russian beauty, after walking for a long stretch, came face to face with what could only be described as astonishing. Isn''t this a paradise? It was like a small wonderland, and there is even waterdrops falling from this small tree. ''This is a small version of my body...'' ''You''re beautiful... it''s hard to believe that you devour millions every week.'' ''Millions every day... It''s what I was created for...'' ''Who created you...'' ''Our father...'' ''And who is your father?'' ''The one that created everything...'' ''... I see.'' ''Leaving that aside... come forward.'' Vera stepped inside the small lake that had clear water in it, this whole situation seemed fantastical. How can this tree that tortures human beings and demons be so ''beautiful'' inside? On this lake, there was the ''replica'' of the tree which had waterdrops falling from it, forming this lake. ''Don''t drink the water...'' ''...'' ''Do you see those two seeds?'' Vera glared attentively at the place where there two seeds atop what looked like a wooden altar. *THUMP!* ''EAT THEM! EAT THEM NOW!!'' At the sight of those two seeds, the Rose Eagle Thorn seemed to go insane! Vera''s mouth salivated all of the sudden but she tried to control herself! ''Control yourself... demon... you''re in my domain!'' Within the realm of her soul, that majestic voice ensued with the potency of a whirlwind! *RUMBLE!!!* A shockwave spread through the area, having the beautiful tree''s branches flutter slightly into a delightful and calming movie. Vera''s impulses receded and the Rose Eagle Thorn retreated... ''Girl... I want you to take one of the seeds and eat it, the other... you''re going to take for yourself and plant it somewhere, this is our deal... as long as you do this, I''m going to give you back your two beloved sinners...'' The tree''s voice sounded rather compassionate when she mentioned the two of them. ''Why? what is this going to do?'' Vera gulped a mouthful of saliva, can she just accept this like it''s nothing? What if she has some ill intentions? but then... so what? so long as she gives Valentine and Fayette back... ''You don''t need to ask, you only need to do it... plant it anywhere you want, preferably in any other circle rather than the circle of wrath... this is my mission to you... by eating this seed, you will get some of the powers that shall assist you in this endeavour... don''t eat the other seed... don''t fail me.'' ''...'' ''Do we have a deal or not? if we do... eat the seed.'' Vera''s hands quivered, she felt as if she was making a decision that will change her life forever, but... right now she has the chance to get Valentine and Fayette right away... Therefore, without any more thoughts, she did what was expected of her and ate one of the seeds. *GULP!!* .... At first, she felt nothing, nothing changed but... then she felt tingles, small ones all over her body. "UGH!" It felt uncomfortable. "I did as you asked, give them back to me now!" Right now she wants nothing more than to see their faces, she doesn''t know what the repercussions of this decision is going to be, but it''s a worthy price to pay. ''Very well... don''t forget our deal, girl...'' ... Rustling noises ensued in front of Vera as she regarded the place expectantly, moving her legs across the pristine waters desperately. Her breaths were roughed and she didn''t notice how her skin seemed to change its texture as she moved, hydrating at the touch with the water. Outside of the small pristine lake and two naked bodies protruded from the ground shortly after a backpack too came out of the roots and right at that moment... Vera felt as if everything had been worth it. The unparalleled despair she went through, and the force it took to stand back up, it had been worth it. In her anxiousness, she even forgot to take the seed from the altar, Vera ran with tears in her eyes, falling like the waterdrops of this tree. With the tree as a witness, she jumped on those two bodies that were regenerating, they had lacerations, missing their eyes and limbs, they clearly went through the worst kinds of tortures. Vera embraced both of those bodies tightly and cried disconsolately. They''re back, finally... ... ''I hope you won''t fail my expectations, Vera Sidorov, for as long as you roam this hell...'' The tree thought inwardly, one that had existed since the primordial era of the netherworld... and perhaps.... even before. Chapter 62 - Veras Teardrops He''s unaware of the period of this torture, but Valentine Wagner is not a stupid individual without reasoning capabilities. The Bringer of Euthanasia had already been tortured before, no physical damage could crack his soul and render him to forsake his rationality. But his loved ones have always been his dragon scale. His mother, his sister, his wife... Rose... and even Fayette and Vera... his team. He eventually realised that everything is just an illusion created with the purpose of sinking him further and further into the abyss. They continued to say, ''Don''t look''. And that''s exactly what he did, what is the point of looking? if he can''t end their anguish. His eyes raised up to notice that his body was still embracing Fayette, the latter squirmed and twisted inside, likely going through the torture of her own as the branches shamelessly crawled through their innards like massive worms, it hurt like hell. But it''s better than watching that nightmare. "F-Fa...ye..." He tried to shake her, sure that she''s likely going through worse torture than his, she has her daughter and her son... No matter how much he shook her body, it was meaningless, she never woke up or stopped her silent screams and he too wasn''t able to keep that pain for much longer before his rationality started to recede. Transitioning between torture, nightmares and despair, who knows for how long, Valentine opened his silver eyes again to find himself in a foreign place. Some kind of place enclosed in darkness, only the noise of a sobbing lady together with dripping tears emerged or is it the slim water drops of the rain? "Vale... Vale..." Those lightly cries of hope kept resonating gleefully beside his ear, like a lover that hadn''t encountered her beloved in years. "Ve...ra..." He naturally recognised her voice, as his mind came back to its senses and rationality clouded his mind, he came to realise that everything is likely thanks to Vera. "VALE!!" !!! He felt his lips get sealed wantonly, without asking for permission and Valentine couldn''t find the strength to push her away, nor the desire to do so. It was a tender kiss, not one shared between two passionate lovers, but rather, one of relief and infatuation. It was the brief touch of two soft pieces of flesh. "Sorry... I can''t hold myself back, it was really difficult." After coming to the realisation of what she did, Vera''s pretty cheeks blushed, it had been so spontaneous as if it had been her rightful reward. "I understand... you must have worked really hard, I''m proud of you." This time it was him that surprised her by taking her chin and kissing her! !!! When their lips separated once again, he caressed her cheeks but the beauty looked as if she couldn''t realise what happened, one of her fingers moved to her lips and caressed it! For a while, Valentine still didn''t understand what was happening... what is this place? why is Vera here? where is Fayette? He struggled to move and look sideways while Vera just remained there... like a tree as if wanting to make sure she''s not dreaming. "V-Vera, what''s happening...?" Valentine felt his body numb all over, perhaps it had reached a stage where not feeling pain and worms crawling through his regenerating flesh was ''odd''. Even as he asked, Vera still didn''t say anything, she just embraced him and laughed as if she was a psychopath. "H-He.. hehe~" The man sighed and caressed her head as his gaze caught up Fayette''s body that lay on the side, also naked and regenerating with holes all over her body that gave way to her living flesh. "We''re okay..." He sighed, finally out of that nightmare. "Yes! you''re okay... it''s over now, Vale." Vera finally released him and reassured, yes... now she can have peace of mind and start explaining the situation to him, he must be quite bewildered, still as she regarded his body marred with holes, she couldn''t help but feel some wrath towards the tree, it''s obviously the cause of all this. "Thank you, Vera..." He said sincerely and moved one of his hands towards the still unconscious Fayette, of the two of them she surely had it the hardest. "It was nothing..." Vera giggled, took his hand and caressed it, not saying anything else, if one listened closely, one could even hear a sigh in the background together with the waterdrops of the tree in the middle of this fantastic room. "..." "..." "Yes, and... what happened? where are we?" Seeing that she only regarded him with a stupefied expression, not saying anything else, Valentine realise he had to lead the conversation or else she wouldn''t get a grip. "It''s complicated... I sort of made a deal with the tree in exchange for getting the two of you... this is the core of the mahogany tree." Still caressing his hand she showed him around the small ''cave'', the only light in the room was one coming from the dept of the lake. His eyes were immediately glued to that lake, it''s perhaps the most ''pure'' thing they have seen in this place, that water couldn''t be any more clear and pristine. "How long has it been?" "Outside, more than five months, I departed the alleyways only once and I got materials to burn the tree." She explained, but got suddenly interrupted by a third party. "Something I''m not very appreciative of." !!!! Valentine heard that voice that despite not containing any threatening intent, just the fact that it came from ''something'' he couldn''t see, was enough to straighten all his inner-alarms as he immediately regained a sobered state! He moved his hand swiftly, looking for a knife, only to be stopped by Vera who held his hands in place tightly and reassured him. "Calm down, there isn''t any threat... It''s the tree..." Vera explained but her calm tonality turned into outrage when she recalled that the cause of their suffering just spoke. "Did you really have to torture them this badly!?" "They are sinners of wrath and the purpose of my existence... is to punish them, rather than be angered with me, you should be grateful that I have chosen you and given you the opportunity to save them, girl..." The Mahogany tree in the middle of the room shuddered slightly, dropping some of its beautiful leaves that fell on the lake. "..." Vera could only grit her teeth and accept that indeed, were it not for ''her'' they wouldn''t be in front of them like now. "Hmn..." !!! Valentine and Vera heard the muffling noises coming from the third person in the room, the blonde... Fayette is waking up. "Faye!" Valentine struggled to crawl up to her body, aided by Vera. The two of them shook her a bit and the blonde heterochromatic eyes showed themselves to the accursed world. "Uhg..." Fayette release a groan of pain, unable to move her body completely, but when she regarded the two people in front of them, she thought she was dreaming. She has seen them for months, perhaps even years... but right now they''re not getting stabbed, tortured, crushed... "V-Valentine... Ve...ra...?" The memories of their last encounter reappeared in her mind, so diffused by the resemblance of the nightmares she had lived, that the beauty had to struggle to place those memories in her head yet again. "We''re okay, Faye... Vera saved us... you''re not in that place anymore." "I''m... not?" "No... you''re out of that nightmare, this is reality..." Vera caressed the blonde''s hair with tears in her eyes, out of the two, it''s clear Fayette had it worse." Seeing their appearances, it had been a hundred times more gratifying than she expected it to be. The tree shuddered again and released some more leaves, seemingly paying attention to everything that transcurred and placing the entirety of its senses in Valentine and Fayette. ''...'' ** ** "It''s time for you to leave... I''ll open the path for you... this is the maximum extent of my grace, Vera... I hope you respect our deal, don''t disappoint me, take the seed." One of the tree''s roots moved, took the remaining seed from the altar and placed it on Vera''s waiting hand, closing the palm. "Protect it with your life... this is extremely important..." The tree emphasized the importance of this task, but she didn''t give further insight, something that confused both Valentine and Fayette who didn''t understand anything of what she was saying. "I will. Regardless of what you did, if not for you, I wouldn''t have gotten to them so quickly... I''ll respect my end of the deal as you did yours, can I plant it anywhere?" Vera planned to take this seriously, but it''s difficult to do so when this tree is giving such a scarce piece of information, she''d do better with something more specific. "Plant it where your senses scream you to, that ''will'' is my will... when the time comes, the seed will do its job, you just need to plan it... my only message to you, is to remember... you''re no longer ''human'' right now, you''re a mahogany tree... even if it doesn''t look like that for now, if I was you, I would try to never get in contact with fire again." "..." "What does she mean, Vera? what did you do?" The further the conversation went, the more Valentine furrowed his brows and worried, what exactly did she accept in order to save them? "... I''ll explain to you later, Vale. Can''t we stay here until they''re okay?" "You can stay here... but don''t drink this water..." "... why?" "Because you''re not qualified to do so... if you do it as you''re now, your soul will explode... even yours, boy." The tree warned, it''s not for ''her'' convenience, it''s for theirs. "..." "..." The trio just regarded one another and decided to let this slide. "Let me go out for a minute, I need to tell an acquaintance that everything is okay... I''ll be back, alright?" Only now Vera recalled the possibly anxious Sasha who is still outside, waiting. "Acquaintance?" Fayette gaped when that word was mentioned, what kind of acquaintance? how long exactly were they in that nightmare? Chapter 63 - Souls Evolution "Yes, it''s an acquaintance that I met, do you remember that demoness from before? when we just entered the alleyways? she''s a good one I promise." Vera already knew this is going to happen, but she''s determined to have them know that Sasha is not a bad individual. !!! Valentine grit his teeth harshly upon hearing those words, of all people... a demon? if anything they learned is to not trust any of those cunts. "Vera!" He held her hand and yelled, not wanting her to meet that ''demoness'' what if that person has a hidden agenda? if Vera is trusting her it''s obviously because she has shown enough rapport to deserve that trust but still, so did Lucretia and the bitch scammed them without any kind of remorse. "She helped me save you, believe in her, please... I''ll just tell her that everything is okay, she was waiting outside." Vera shrugged Valentine''s hand lightly, determined to convince them otherwise. "..." "..." For a period, the two lovers didn''t know what to say to one another. "We managed to squeeze ourselves out of this mess somehow." Fayette laughed self-mockingly, she had bravely jumped on the sacrifice like a pair of reckless lovers only to end up facing the threat of eternal damnation, she didn''t regret it, but now that she has the opportunity to recapitulate, this is indeed a far better outcome. All thanks to Vera. "Taking her that day, it truly wasn''t a mistake... I should follow your judgement more often." She smiled, recalling how it had been his idea to give Vera a chance, back then she was like a jealous girl, thinking he was being seduced by the girl but... it proved to not be the case, Vera has guts. Valentine sighed and scratched his head, also recalling this scenario. "Even I couldn''t have possibly expected that events would turn out like this... Vera, she''s different... I don''t know exactly how long it has been for her away from us, but she has changed... she reeks to blood but at the same time I can still sense her bashful behaviour..." He concluded, let alone reeking blood, Vera''s clothes were more red than white. She had obviously gone through several harsh moments, and she squeezed through them with her own strength, compared this woman to the vulnerable girl they found at the beginning, he wasn''t lying when he said he''s proud. A part of him could even see Rose in her. "I love you..." Those words came too suddenly, prompting him to turn his gaze to the infatuated Fayette, she didn''t need any reason to say it. "..." "I just wanted to say it because I''m immensely relieved that we''re out of that hell, that one, not this one..." The girl raised up to give him a few pecks, ones she had been missing immensely. She tasted some blood on his lips and furrowed slightly, but realising who is the one... she just sighed and let it be. "The things that I saw... I imagine you went through them as well..." "You never stopped looking at them, did you?" Since she never woke up, he imagines this is the case. "I couldn''t... the more I saw it, the more wrath I felt... when I saw that bitch putting her hands on you and to my daughter, it was worse... sorry, I guess I''m not as mentally strong as I thought..." The itch hadn''t subsided for even a single instant. "Don''t worry... it took me a while too." Valentine locked Fayette''s lips in a more prolonged kiss before he raised up his hand, letting the tired lady''s head fall on his chest. "Hey, tree..." With nowhere else to look, Valentine redirected his gaze to the beautiful tree amidst the sparkling pure lake. Upon placing his eyes on it, he noticed how it rustled in an organic manner and released some leaves. ... "... what do you want, boy?" The Mahogany Tree answered nonchalantly. "What exactly are you?" Trying to reign in the fact that he''s actually speaking with a "I''m one of the cursed regiments of wrath..." ''That name and your appearance don''t coincide.'' If he could name this tree, rather than that frightening name, he''d call it ''Oasis of splendour'' or ''Tree of Life''. "And what is that exactly?" Fayette inquired next, having the same thought in her head. "An entity in charge of punishing sinners in the netherworld, I live by plundering your vitality... and in exchange, show you the error of yours ways..." "So basically, you steal my vitality and ''soul energy'' and in exchange... torture me?" His eyebrows tickled in a reflected snort, that''s like getting scammed and having to say ''thank you''. "If you want to call it torture... I''m not the one showing you the nightmares, those nightmares exist within your mind, boy... your punishment is self-imposed, your trip to the netherworld was orchestrated with your very own hands." "..." "And I have to say, yours is quite appealing... silver souls come relatively often in the span of millions of years... but yours is the 5th golden soul I have tasted through aeons, you are special..." "..." The 5th in millions of years? in a world where who knows how many millions arrive every day... he couldn''t help but think he''s not that unique, what exactly is so special in a golden soul? he can barely defeat a demon soldier, who is theoretically, the second weakest class of demons. "Not everything in this world is strength, the process to attain strength is also important, boy. "..." ''Did she just read my mind?'' ... "Why Vera? what did she do? is your request going to threaten her life? what do you mean that she''s a Mahogany Tree now?" Fayette didn''t understand everything, but so far she can get the gist of it, in order to save them, Vera accepted some kind of deal that could put her in danger. She must know if there is a way they can help her. "Two reasons... one, she''s the first individual within my domains that has transitioned from a bronze soul to a silver soul, such a thing is even rarer than finding a golden soul... transitions from carbon to onyx happen often, from onyx to bronze... they''re immensely scarce and from bronze to silver... they''re nigh-impossible." "..." "..." "For me, this is the first one I have seen, I don''t know about the others... let alone, she''s also the first one that has ever tried to fight me within my domain, although her efforts would have been futile were I to try and constrain her, she passed my test with flying colours and hence, was chosen by me." The tree''s voice even contained awe, it fluttered its branches and a few more leaves fell softly on the clear water, producing delicious waves that spread through the entire lake, seamlessly. For the two of them, those waves were, captivating. But they quickly regained themselves to think about the words she just said, transition... does that mean that one can evolve the soul?! If so, what''s the difference? !!! "What do you mean she transitioned!?" Fayette struggled to sit up aided by Valentine who pressed her against his chest, she''s curious. "What it sounds like, she''s now a silver soul, just like you..." "And what''s the difference between each soul?" This time Valentine asked, this tree doesn''t look like ''someone'' that would lie. "Will power, strength, faith and fate... the higher the rank of a soul is, the closer they''re to the creator... made in his image and likeness, haven''t you heard that before, human?" He has, still, what does it mean? ... "Does that mean that golden souls are the closest to him..?" He bit on his lips, surprisingly accepting on this topic while Fayette who was from a catholic upbringing, paid special attention. "Why would you think that a golden soul is the most graceful kind of soul there is? are you that narcissistic despite your obvious flaws?" The tree is criticized like a hot needle against an open wound. It could hurt, but also... heal. "... then what is it?" "That''s for me to know and for you to research, you have a life in the netherworld, surely you can entertain yourself disinvolving the secrets of creation together with your lovers, little boy." At the mention of ''lovers'' Fayette rolled her eyes while Valentine sighed, another matter to address later. "Do you have a soul?" "I wonder about that...? perhaps I''ll meditate on that assertion for the following million years." As the tree shuddered, several of the leaves reformed at a visible rate, having the light coming from the lake transition to a soothing blue. "How can one evolve one''s soul?" When Valentine asked this question he had in mind that likely by devouring other souls and cores, but it wasn''t any farther from the truth. "... pain, and the evolution of consciousness, no more questions..." The elderly grandma-like voice answered that last enquiry before the light suddenly dimmed and the tree went to ''sleep''. "..." "..." The couple sighed and lay against each other''s bodies, meditating on her words. "At least Vera is not in any danger, it''s just a mission... as for being a Mahogany Tree, we will realise that with time." "Hmn." Chapter 64 - An Exception, Not The Rule "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Hunk, Blondie~" "..." "..." "Could you behave like a normal human being for a minute?!" "Isn''t that the way a human behaves? if I were to act like a demoness, I''d have to get on my knees straight away, would you prefer that?" "Ugh!" ... Rather than answer, the couple glared at Vera as if allowing her to explain everything before the misunderstanding became apparent. It had been two days, Valentine and Fayette were almost healed, the pair of the demoness and Rose Thorn had taken the clothes from some of the corpses before being led back by the rather cooperative tree into this particular junction. Finally, the pair came out of the tree''s core to meet the demoness that had aided them... the meeting didn''t go as expected. Even with her attitude, Valentine had to furrow his brows when the demoness seemingly refused to look at them in the eye, she''s a sexy light purple-skinned beauty with a pair of long horns, no tail, no wings... a common demoness dressed in some combat attire with few protective plates. "Thank you for helping Vera all this time, my name is Fayette." Seeing that Vera was too ashamed of her ''friend'' to even say anything, Fayette sighed and introduced herself first. "I''m Valentine, indeed, regardless of whether you''re a demon, a human or anything... you have aided Vera and therefore you have my gratitude." He extended his hand forward in a polite gesture, unaware of whether the demons shared this show of appreciation. Sasha lowered her gaze to regard his hand for perhaps even a full ten seconds before extending her hand to shake it, however, her hand shivered slightly and she ended up slapping it! "Forget the politeness with me, Hunk... I''m not a human... since you''re already healed, we should leave." Once again Sasha evaded their gaze even as Fayette furrowed her brows and resisted the urge to slap her right here, how dare she be so impolite?! Valentine also didn''t take kind of her gesture, but this is a demon they''re dealing with, not with an educated human... she even refused to call him by his name and stuck with the ''hunk''. "Sasha..." Vera didn''t understand why the girl is suddenly behaving like this. ''Do demonesses get the period too?'' She could only wonder as the change had been too sudden, she''d speak to her later. "She''s not usually like that... let''s go, Volna, could you open the path for us? we''re leaving..." Vera uttered those words out loud while Sasha walked away from them into the corridors. Volna is the name Vera gave the tree against her will... it means wave and she got the name from the delicate waves produced from the tree''s waterdrops against the lake. ''Then may you have success in your endeavour, Vera...'' despite the fact that she didn''t want a name, the tree still accepted to be called that by Vera, her chosen one. ''Will we see each other again?'' ''It''s unlikely... have you forgotten that I tortured your beloveds, Vera?'' ''You said it wasn''t you...'' At least that''s what Vera tried to convince herself with, she couldn''t conceive that such a beautiful tree within that clear lake is the one responsible for torturing countless souls. ''... Indeed, it wasn''t me... I''m just accomplishing my endeavour Vera... just like you will accomplish yours and sometimes you will have to do things you don''t want to or living things that will be painful to you, remember that.'' ''...? I don''t understand.'' ''You will when the time comes because you''re prepared and I have chosen you, that''s all that matters'' ''... Farewell, Volna'' ... Vera didn''t hear Volna''s words any longer as they walked through the corridor. The darkness dissipated ever so slightly as the group moved forward, Fayette and Valentine were hands hooked with their knives ready for any inconvenience and regarding everything with newfound awe, they''re leaving this place now... just like that. Vera looked at the two of them and pouted slightly from behind, ''I said I''d be more proactive but... it''s not as easy as it sounds...'' She sighed and decided to touch upon this topic later, right now she just saved them and perhaps they''re still touched due to the torture they went through in that place, she didn''t want to be a bother. The trio wore their cloaks just in case, they were bloody and dirty, but they were cloaks nonetheless. In due time they came upon Sasha who had stopped on her tracks, in front of her shone a big ad pure beam of light coming from the skies, looking they saw two of the three moons shining upon them in all their splendour, the tree had taken them out and it wasn''t even night-time. "We''re out... we should go to my pub first, cover your faces the best you can, due to the fact that we have been there for weeks or months, the chase after you should have toned down a notch, but don''t expect them to have given up on you" Sasha uttered with sternness, not looking back. "What kind of pub is that?" He wanted to know, not a fan of staying in a place where humans would be slaughtered and devoured on a daily basis, it seems to have become some kind of rule in the netherworld for demons to own such business, at least in this city. "A normal pub... I''m the owner and you will be able to stay there safe until you plan your next step." Sasha seemed to not understand the motive of that question. ''A normal pub where we drink human''s blood turned into wine that is...'' She decided to not utter this fact lest they run the fuck away from here. "Then lead the way." Fayette followed, at this stage, she didn''t care whether they were going to see humans being tortured or not so long as they didn''t stay for long, it had been their plan to escape this city and that hasn''t changed, they only need some time to re-organise. As for Vera, she couldn''t care less whether humans were going to be devoured... she would devour humans and demons alike for god''s sake. "She''s a really good person, don''t worry Vale, we will be safe there." Vera managed to take some courage to grasp his other hand. "But she''s an exception, not the rule, don''t forget that, Vera." Valentine sighed and grasped her hand tightly, she had broken the ''code'' but... she''s lucky enough to not have suffered any repercussions. At least one good event has happened to them ever since they entered this hell. ** ** In the City Lord''s mansion the Marques of the City, Warcroft deemed it worthy to hold yet another meeting, once again about the same individual, everything else in the city is within control, except for this single factor. "Do you have any information on them? it has been a month already..." For a demon, his impatience regarding this subject is obnoxious, he could wait an entire century for an event to unfold, but every day he doesn''t know the status of that human, it''s as if a treasure has slipped past his fingers. ''I should have got to him when I had the chance...'' "None whatsoever, he hasn''t shown up at any of our shops... but apparently, one of the girls has shown up, but she appeared by herself... she hasn''t been seen again ever since." Still within the burst of green flames, the green demon, Sandmortelle spoke lightly, he didn''t seem to be placing as much importance on this subject as the Marques does. "Just the girl? could it be that he perished inside?" The demon growled as the pressure in the entire room turned into that of suffocation as even the flames that represented Sandmortelle''s presence started to flicker. This is precisely what he doesn''t wish to occur. "It''s likely... less than five per cent of the humans that enter the alleyways ever come out of them, you''re aware of this fact my Marques..." He is, but that man is not just any man... those that come out are always at least bronzes... this person is higher than that, in fact, if that girl could come out, why can''t he? "Keep me in touch... look for that girl and if they appear I want to know before Sinclair does... hopefully, that bastard Gleipnir will know to back off when he needs to." At least a little retribution got him to put this matter to the side of his head, they had regained some of the influence in this city that should be rightfully his to begin with, sadly... the netherworld''s bureaucracy could be even more poisonous than the humans''. "We have regained control of three of the gates, but they still control two of them, two of their demon soldiers have perished, but that''s about it... that trash never stepped forward and neither did Count Sinclair" Sandmortelle reported. "Fortify the gates..." "Are you sure, my marques? weren''t you intending to allow them to leave?" The green-skinned demon furrowed his brows at the sudden switch of orders, but he could still understand where his lord is coming from. "Yes, but now that we have reached this junction we can''t allow them to leave, that silver soul will just end in the wrong hands if I don''t take it while I still can, you wouldn''t steal it from me, would you, Sandmortelle?" *RUMBLE!* Unparalleled pressure erupted as the fire within the chimney changed from yellow to bright red, just as did the Marques'' eyes! "I would never, my lord... it belongs to you." As if he hadn''t been intimidated even as his own projection struggled to stay ''green''. The world''s furious'' shake stopped, giving way to a sudden calm and serenity as the fire of the chimney once again morphed back to its usual serenity. "Good, you''re dismissed." The Royal Demon waved his hand in dismissal and the Demon Magistrate departed with a task in hand and an objective within his mind. But today wasn''t going to be a calm day for him either, he didn''t notice how an individual appeared nonchalantly inside his office without him even noticing, not an easy feat for most demons in this netherworld. A dark-skinned demoness with a gigantic pair of wings. !!! "It seems we have a chat due, Marques Warcroft." Chapter 65 - Temptation Abounds "It looks rather decent." Valentine and Fayette commented upon reaching the ''pub'' filled with partying demons, they danced, drank alcohol... some of them sat on top of their human pets, but no more than that... overall it looked like a common nightclub. "Thank you, I guess... buy one liver, get two." Sasha shrugged her shoulders as her business side came out suddenly. "Huh?" "Nothing..." The serving demonesses had attires nothing short of alluring, a skirt so short that they might as well not wear anything, boots and a bikini top that barely covered anything, yet the demons seemed to not pay attention to this, meanwhile Valentine, Fayette and Vera''s eyes wandered as the latter two glared in outrage at the poor bastard. "You dare look once more..." This time the threat didn''t come from just Fayette, Vera even took out her Rose Eagle Thorn! "There is nowhere else to look at!" Valentine ranted in outrage, this is not to be between the wall and the blade, this is to be trapped between four blades. "Then look at the ceiling!" They moved their gazes to the ceiling and there it was, a shining naked demoness with pink skin showing her open butt, exposing herself to the world. "..." "..." "Damn... you know what? you can keep ogling at them, fuck it." Fayette resigned to fate, you can''t negotiate with the netherworld. The trio didn''t notice how Sasha too was ''pouting'' while looking at Valentine with her shoulder gaze, however, she managed to conceal this swiftly enough. She was about to have them head to their room when a red-skinned slutty demoness showed herself with a light smile, holding a tray with a big cup that contained some dubious red liquid that looked like fruit-punch, but they''re sure as hell it is not. When she regarded Vera though, that smile disappeared giving way to some sweat to fall through her pristine skin. "Oh... you''re back Sasha." She greets Sasha instead, trying to avoid Vera who she now considered to be more of a demon than she herself is. "Andrea, right? how long has it been?" Sasha stuttered as she had forgotten this demoness'' name. "You have been out for a month... but, I''m afraid that the business is not yours anymore." The girl confessed with curled up lips and a shameless demeanour. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Sasha furrowed her brows at the sudden unexpected event, this shouldn''t have happened, right? "Maze has already taken over the business, and none of us is really against it~ she pays more than you do and makes sure to give us a prey by the end of the week... it''s carbon, but... it''s something." The girl with the tray bent her waist and awaited the small rant before Sasha eventually departed the shop, were she to get funny, the other demonesses would gang up on her, that''s how it works. In this city the strong ones rule, there is no one who is the rightful owner of anything, only through strength does one own a business and Maze happens to be stronger while Sasha was away, that''s all. Contemplating this outrageous event taking place in front of her, Vera stepped up to defend her friend right before Sasha stepped forward to pull the demoness'' crimson hair! "Is that so? where is that bitch?! take me to her before I take that cup and stick it so high up your ass, you won''t be able to walk anymore!" Vera took out her knife ready to kill again and acted like a thug, surprising both Valentine and Fayette as they couldn''t believe this is the girl that would always stay behind them and let them talk... right now she looks as if she''s going to gouge your eyes out if you do so much as to look at her wrongly. "Is that supposed to be a threat? I''d be delighted you know? in fact, how about we head somewhere else more ''private'' in haste and delight each other on my butt''s volume capacity?~" Recalling this violent protector, Andrea thought this is her chance. If she can seduce Vera into becoming her pet demoness, who knows how delicious her soul will be? "..." "..." But rather than seduce her, what she caused was a wave of absent-mindedness that only subsided when they recalled that this is the netherworld and ''people'' here, are not normal. "I''ll swallow your core." Vera pointed her knife at her, switching her intimidation strategy, and it was efficient. "OH COME ON! no need to get so worked up will you!? Move that thing away!" The red-skinned beauty almost dropped the tray at the sudden threat to her life which prompted the four individuals in front of her to deadpan, yes... Sasha included. "Then hurry up and show us the way! we don''t have all day!" Vera slapped the knife against the girl''s thick leg, prompting her to shiver in fear and move forward amidst the giggling mess caused by Sasha when she witnessed this. "Vera, you look like a hooligan~" Valentine laughed at this, he''s usually the one behaving like a rogue but now Vera trying to extort a demoness is a sight to enjoy for as long as it lasts. Truly she made his day with this move of hers, to his side Fayette was also smirking not knowing which version of Vera is better. The two versions are polar opposites from one another for sure. "W-What?! T-That... I... ugh!" Rather than dig her own hole further, she just sighed and continued. ** ** "Sasha, you still dare to show your face here after not working for an entire month!?" inside Sasha''s office, a sexy demoness with dark skin, two horns and a pair of moderate wings, sat. She wore a long black dress with golden embroidery... one that also had belonged to Sasha... and smoke something that resembled a pipe... presumably Sasha''s. The beauty curled her legs lustily one above the other with arms crossed beneath her buxom chest, awaiting a rant and preparing to fight were it necessary, she had already adverted Sasha''s presence and prepared her other subordinates who were coming to make an act of presence to intimidate the purple-skinned demoness. When strength is equal, numbers will make the difference. With her job done, Andrea excused herself, not wanting to be in the middle of a battle that has nothing to do with her, she didn''t forget to bow down slightly towards Vera, trying to gain the latter''s good eye even now. "I''m the owner, Maze... I don''t have to work, get out of my office." Rather than rant straight away, Sasha just spoke lightly and decided to give the demoness in front of her an opportunity to live. Alas, the demoness is one of pride... the most troublesome ones around, she waved her raven silky hair to the side and stood up, walking in front of the desk until she was a few metres away from Sasha, they had roughly the same height, but Maze looked more imposing with those two wings behind her coupled with her horns. "I don''t care... and the amount of money you''re paying us, do you think it''s fair!?" The villainess started her monologue and the reasons for her uprising, money as always. "Where do you think you are? the heavens? get lost before I kill you, I''m not talking anymore, if you don''t leave... you''re fucking dead." Sasha didn''t even issue an increase of wages, no... she immediately ordered the woman to get lost, they don''t have time for this. "Hmph! Do you still think you''re-!" *WOOOSH!!!* *SLASH!!* *THUD!* A phantom stepped forward with impatience, if there is something Valentine doesn''t like is meaningless chatting. Maze''s seductive body that could only belong to a seductress plopped under the lack of a commanding unit, the head that had already fallen to the ground without even knowing how she died. "Stop wasting time... if you''re going to utter words, at least make it important." "..." Sasha''s eyes quivered as her slitted eyes shone with great brilliance, a phantom seemed to have appeared before her at that moment. She lifted up her delicate lips to say something but eventually, just bit them. ''Not yet... it''s not the time.'' Her current expression looked like she was more aggrieved than anything else, prompting Valentine to throw her a slight gaze before cleaning his knife. "What? you said you wouldn''t speak again..." He uttered with disinterest while Fayette and Vera had already expected this outcome, they felt vindicated. "..." Sasha still didn''t say anything, she just shot him a glare, a really deep glare. "Take us to our room, I need to speak with these two." Valentine felt something odd within the gaze that he couldn''t point out, it''s not a threat at least so he just walked past her and out of the office followed by Vera and Fayette. For a few moments, Sasha stood up there, clenching her hands profusely with her gaze towards the ground. ''You''re making it difficult for me, I shouldn''t have appeared, stupid me... surely Vera would have been able to save you without my intervention. S-Should I leave now?'' ''N-No, I have appeared so I can''t leave now, not yet... I''ll enjoy this briefly and then leave... I already killed the bitch and burned her corpse, no one should find out...'' Sasha held her forehead for a minute, regaining her composure and calming her palpitating heart. She lost her calm just now, even her skin seemed to be flickering in colours... changing from its ''original'' purple to a more caucasian colour before eventually settling for the purple. ''Calm down.... it''s just a few days.'' Chapter 66 - The Talk. "This is your room, I need to work so I''m not going to be available, if you need something tell Andrea to get it for you..." Sasha eventually caught up with a visually more relaxed demeanour and introduced them to the room where Vera had been previously. As she prepared to depart, however, Vera interjected. "Wait, I''m going with you for a minute, Sasha." She took Sasha''s hand and intended to leave the room together with her, she wanted to ''talk''. ... "What is going on with you? you''re acting weird." Now outside of the room, Vera questioned Sasha with furrowed brows, the demoness is not usually this... insecure? ever since they found Valentine and Fayette she''s acting weird. "What? do I have to act the way you want all the time? I''m fed up with your suspicion, Vera!" Sasha slapped away Vera''s hand that had tried to grab her shoulder and threw back a rant of her own. "..." But this rant only made Vera furrow her brows further because something is definitely not right with Sasha. "If you don''t want to tell me, don''t tell me... but I''m your friend and I''m worried about you, that''s all." Having said her piece with a sigh, Vera intended to depart for the day when she heard Sasha''s departing answer. "What I''m facing is not something you can help me with, Vera... if you could I would have told you already, hurry up and go to sleep with your lovers, you deserve it, I''ll pop up tomorrow." "..." Vera entered back inside the room with a mind flooded with thoughts, there she found Valentine and Fayette stripping! !!! "You two won''t even wait!?" "..." "..." The couple threw each other a smirking glance. "Don''t tell me you want to sleep with those bloodied clothes? we can have a bath tomorrow, for now, I just want to sleep." Fayette yawned, there is nothing she wants more than to lay on a comfy bed, and so she did, she plopped on the bed in a rather roguish manner with her legs opened and exposing her glorious garden. "Yeah, me too... come, Vera, let''s sleep you must be tired too." "C-Can I?" "...? why are you getting all flustered? this is not the first time we sleep nude." Valentine deadpanned and lay on the bed beside Fayette who just lay to the side, ready to be spooned. She still hasn''t regained complete control of her body, sleeping after so long might be the best way to do so. ''R-Really, why am I getting flustered? just looking at his naked skin, I have seen it countless times, what''s happening with me?'' Vera struggled to stop her raging heart and started to undress. Maybe due to the circumstances... before they hadn''t had clothes and ''sleeping together in the nude didn''t instil any feeling of lewdness or arousal in a world where a rain of fire could fall on you at any minute. But right now, Valentine''s stripped body is something she can''t stop paying attention to... especially his crotch. Valentine sighed and lay down beside Fayette, Vera''s vision on his crotch was so prominent, that he could literally feel her ''groping'' it. Eventually, she let go of her urges and the three of them lay down on the bed, releasing that Valentine wasn''t going to spoon her, Fayette pouted and turned around, her gaze clashing against Vera''s as the two lay against Valentine''s chest. The two of them felt an equally soothing feeling of his hand running along with their hair, and whatever they had been thinking moved to the second plane as they each entangled one of his legs and arms, then went to sleep. After he started hearing the snores, Valentine sighed and looked at the pair of ravishing beauties within his arms. ''Christine, Francesca... will the story repeat again?'' He didn''t want that to happen, but he''s running out of options and a lack of action is going to cause repercussions for the three of them, decisive action is imperious. With the sacrifice Vera Sidorov made, her grit and determination... he could no longer ignore his feelings for her. It''s just a matter of time before the house of cards falls starting from the top. ** ** "I want to go and get better equipment, after that we can take a shower and think what we''re going to do thoroughly." Valentine dressed up with his rags as the two beauties followed along, everything under the gaze of a slightly blushed Sasha whose gaze decisively locked onto Vera''s body, and she planned to not move it. "Then we will stay here, be careful." Fayette hugged her knees in place while giving Vera a sidelong glance, the latter was much the same... there is some tension in there that the four of them can feel. "I''m going with you, there are some things I must fetch as well..." Sasha eventually stood up and proposed. "... Fair enough, We can''t go to the same shops we used to go to or we could be recognised, I''d use your help to find some weapons shops in this city." "O-Oh... Okay." *THUD!* Valentine departed the room together with Sasha, leaving the two beauties on their own each on either side of the bed. ... No one said a word for a while but Vera clenched her hands tightly and decided to give the last step as it''s usual. "Can we talk?" "A-About what?" Fayette stuttered, she knows what conversation is coming and she doesn''t want to have it. "About Valentine, you... and me." She needs to touch this subject, otherwise, they won''t ever step forward. "Vera..." "You''re not the only one holding back you know?" "What do you mean?" The blonde furrowed her brows, not understanding the comment, what exactly is she holding back? "You have dreams, don''t you? dreams where you kill me..." Vera tested the grounds, she''s almost certain of this. !!!! "I... do." How can she say that it is indeed the truth?! Not only that, they''re quite recurrent! But she knows those are not her true feelings, sure, she''s jealous sometimes and she often desires it was just Valentine and her, but that thought has been subsiding as they live together and roam this netherworld, sadly... the nightmares don''t stop, sometimes she wonders if Valentine has those dreams too? who does he kill in them? "I have them too... dreams where I kill you, strangle you... cut your big breasts into tiny pieces." Vera giggled trying to take some of the tension out of the atmosphere, obviously, the last one is a lie. "... I didn''t need to know the last one." Sure enough, Fayette shivered and held her the chest she''s proud of with a small fright, how can someone be so merciless? "I know... I hold them back because I know that''s not what I want to do, and you''re the same, then why are we still in this situation, Faye?" ... "I don''t want to share... he''s... mine... I never shared before." Fayette confessed, yes, she''s selfish but so what, she found him first, they met each other in that cave back then and killed their way through that forest together, he''s her soulmate and together they make the best of loves and engage in a frenzy of passion each time, why must she share that wonderful feeling with someone else!? "Can we at least try?" Vera didn''t want to be forceful, this is a deadlock, a situation she knows Fayette doesn''t want to be in. Vera doesn''t want to be let into the relationship out of pity... "You won''t back off this matter won''t you?" "No... at least tell me, why not?" Vera grit her teeth, wanting to know why is she so adamant? is she being hated here? "I don''t know... I like you, Vera... don''t misunderstand me, even when I was alive, I haven''t trusted anyone the way I trust you... but a part of me doesn''t feel it''s fair, I don''t know... maybe I love him too much, you won''t understand." "No, you''re wrong... after losing the two of you, my heart realised that I don''t want to regret anything... this time there was luck by my side. I met Sasha and she assisted me into getting away from the alleyways, gave shelter... I was chosen by Volna too... if those series of lucky encounters hadn''t taken place, I wouldn''t have reached you... and who knows how everything would have ended, regardless of whether I lived or died, I wouldn''t have been happy, now I can and I don''t want to give that away." "... I understand, please, let me think." Fayette held her elbow awkwardly and decided to back off since Vera wasn''t intending to. "No." !!! "Eh?! Y-You won''t let me think!?" "I won''t give you time to think or to reject, I WANT to be in there, Faye... It''s not only him that I love, I like you too." It was time for Vera to drop her bomb, and as expected it got totally misunderstood by Fayette who gaped at the revelation! "Fuck! don''t talk nonsense! I''m not interested in that!" She immediately tried to leave the room and get some fresh air but she got fiercely pinned to the bed! "Vera!" When did she become this strong?! "I don''t mean in a romantic way!" "..." Her words immediately made Fayette stop struggling and listen to what the crazy lass had to say. "What I mean is that I don''t want to be separated by either of you two! and if it comes to the point where we share a bed... then, I won''t feel disgusted by your presence either, I know it''s the same for you!" "How can you know?! That demoness corrupted you!" "Sorry, I have been corrupted way before that..." "Y-You! you won''t let me think no matter what?! damned girl... you changed too much and it wasn''t all good" "I could let you think if it was going to change anything, but you have been ''thinking'' for more than a year now! I don''t want to wait another year..." "You''re stubborn, have you considered what Valentine thinks about all this, having two girlfriends?" "He loves me, right?" "..." "You know he does, just say it." "He does..." "There you go~" "You''re truly stubborn, I liked the shy Vera more..." "But I like the current me more, and I like the two of you more than I like myself." !!! "Sweet words won''t get you anywhere, I''m past that point and we''re in hell..." "Why are you blushing then?" !!! "Damn it all!" Chapter 67 - A Purple-skinned Seductress "Why did we get these many coins? aren''t they all carbon souls?" The first place Valentine and Sasha''s head to was an exchange lobby, they had no coins, the only thing they had was all the carbon crystals that Vera and Sasha accumulated within the alleyways, once again he realised he got scammed, they were approximately a hundred crystals but they got a million and two hundred amethyst coins before he had gotten way less for creature cores, but these two had truly gotten a considerable amount of crystals. "Yes, but they''re lots of them... Vera went too far and we planned to use them to buy more sollux and bombs that rescue you two... around these cities, you won''t see many individuals slaughtering humans and demons left and right like Vera does and then storing their crystals, most individuals that kill humans to get their crystals are demons and they usually devour them rather than exchanging them for amethyst coins or the currency in whichever city they are, hence, you might get a good deal from the exchange markets most of the time unless you''re naive..." The beauty explained as they headed down the road, passing by several demons while he remained cloaked. "..." The man clenched his hand in annoyance to the point his teeth clacked in silence, if anything had to be said, rather than naivety, it''s lack of knowledge. He''s just following her along as she knows this place better than him and they don''t want to go through the shops and places he has already been through as it could trigger his hunt yet again. "But as a demoness, I''ll always get you the best deal, demons find it hard to scam other demons as everyone here is already aware of standard prices, let''s go and get you some gear and potions, I know the best place." She boasted and puffed out her big chest for seemingly no reason as she lead him to one of the places in this city she had seen recently. "Potions?" He hadn''t heard of this detail, that green-skinned demon or the dwarf demon didn''t have such a thing in their inventory or at least they didn''t mention it. "Judging by your expression, you likely don''t know them yet, they''re never used by humans for obvious reasons and you have to go to a demon specialized in preparing them, not just anyone can do it and they''re quite expensive... that''s why we have to save some of the money." She sighed, a million and two-hundred amethyst coins isn''t a quantity that will make you ''rich'', but that''s definitely not an amount of money a human possesses. "Why do we need it?" He didn''t ''want to spend money uselessly, they would need it through their remaining stay in the city, he didn''t expect to remain there for more than a week if things went well. Sadly, he couldn''t count on things going well anymore after what took place. "If you happen to lose your arm, you would like it to come back quickly rather than wait an entire day or two for it, right?" "Indeed." "Come, we will go to this smith and you will leave all the chit-chat to me, alright sweetheart?~" The demoness started to lean against him and even take his arm between her cleavage, only to be pushed away by him with a deep glare. She is still a demoness and that''s a prejudice he can''t easily get rid of, even if she helped Vera. "Don''t call me that, you have been quite chummy lately, yesterday you weren''t like this, are you bipolar or something?" "I''m just more easy-going when I can control myself." She huffed in annoyance at his attitude and desisted from taking his arm. ''You''re too stubborn... can''t you let yourself be seduced like any normal man?'' "What is that supposed to mean?" He inquired, not understanding the demoness'' words. "Nothing..." ** ** "It''s not every day you see a demoness so comfy with a human, huh? he must be quite tasty." The owner of this shop was a cloaked demon with two horns protruding from his head, this store looked like a shit-hole compared to the other one Valentine went to with the girls, it''s called ''Pomme'' for some reason. "You have no idea~ show my master your best equipment, I want a good price." With all the shamelessness that existed in the deepest corners of the netherworld, the seductress uttered those words. !!! ''Master?!'' Valentine''s entire countenance dropped, this woman knows no limits! "Master? I see...you have ''that'' kind of roleplay going on, and what do I get?" For the cloaked demon, this is not a weird matter, what''s odd is for the human to be the master and not the other way around, especially considering that Sasha doesn''t look like a weak demoness... she doesn''t have her wings and tail, but she''s toned and obviously not a demoness of lust, not one that relies on her body to survive within these lairs. "Money, a lot of money... we have a very tight budget, it''s five hundred amethyst coins, no more, no less." The bargaining began with Sasha holding Valentine''s hand at all times implying her ''status''. ''...'' Meanwhile Valentine couldn''t take this disgrace, there is not a single bastard in this world that''s honest... not even one. "That''s a tight budget depending on what you want to get, weapons? I have a few sweets, you can get them for that amount." The demon smirked, even if Sasha is a demoness he''d still get the maximum out of this bargain, she says she has five hundred, which means that she likely holds at least seven hundred. He either plunders all that money today for the least possible products or his store is not called ''Pomme'' by any means. "Hahaha, you''re such a jester~ My master here is a protector, are you sure you want to get fussy?~" This is the golden argument to use in the netherworld''s anti-violence cities, in the pro-violence ones? they''d attack you with more haste to steal that precious loot. The reaction of the demon was immediate as the eyes he used to look at Valentine changed before he thought that the roleplay was due to the fact that the demoness is fond of being submissive, but now, it makes sense that he''d be the master, still... "And where is his badge? he does certainly look like a protector." Just judging by the clothes he''s wearing and that short ruby-like sword on his waist, it''s not the appearance humans have in this city... he needs a little more filth and missing limbs to be more ''human''. "Where is it, master?~" With a chuckling seductive expression, Sasha turned towards Valentine and asked lustily, allowing him to cooperate for once, but all she received was a fierce deadpan. ''This vixen...'' "We fucked so much yesterday that I forgot." He smiled and pulled her waist harshly with apparent possessiveness, one that made the demoness blush slightly even as her expression remained. She bit on her lips and eventually evaded his gaze, that hadn''t been a show, but it managed to convince the shop''s owner. "... shameless ones I see..." He sighed, these kinds of customers don''t come to his shop usually, but when they do... they''re troublesome. "You heard him, now stop wasting our time and show him the goods" Sasha reigned in her control but didn''t reject their close proximity. "I can recall your face from somewhere, lad... alright, I''ll see what I can do, what do you need?" "This..." ** ** "You see? with me it''s always a bargain, m-a-s-t-er~" "... let''s go back, stop your nonsense..." He had gotten iron arrows for Fayette and a crossbow, this item was the most costly... new armour plates to cover their crystals, boots and arm covers, a few cloaks, another backpack as they had lost one before and many other useful utilities, everything for the modicum price of six hundred amethyst coins. Surely if he had done that himself without Sasha, he would have needed to give out an eye from his face, perhaps both. ... "Is it really nonsensical? when you grabbed my waist back then, I felt your strong grip... why do you hold yourself back? you''re a passionate man." They now moved towards the next destination, the ''brewery'' an odd name for a place focused on selling potions, or not? "You talk as if you know me." "... I don''t, but once you have lived long enough you can... perceive... something things and I can notice you''re quite passionate, the way you look at Fayette and Vera, I can sense the love in your gaze for the blondie but, I can sense the lust and affection for Vera too, a lot of it in fact~" "..." "And I can sense your gaze on my cleavage and butt too, in case you wondered." "..." He wouldn''t apologise for that, it''s just looking. "Why aren''t you saying anything? because I''m right?~" She walked closer to him, almost whispering beside his ears, it''s so funny to tease him like this. "What do you want to achieve?" He doesn''t know why this woman is focusing so much on his private life, they barely know each other, moreover... their first encounter wasn''t the friendliest, furthermore, he has shown his despise for demons all along. "I''m just giving you a little warning, I''m fond of Vera and if you don''t make a move, I''ll take her away from you." Her gaze turned stern with curled up lips, and it was at that moment that the two of them stopped on their tracks and she knows she got his attention. !!! "What did you say?" Coldness filled his voice, this is not a comment he can let slide. "I said that I have been wanting to fuck Vera for a while, you might not have noticed but I''m more interested in women than men, but all along she has been into you and won''t let me touch her... if you don''t make a move... I''ll steal her from you, is that clear enough?~" *THUD!!* That sentence alone managed to get her pinned to the wall in one of the alleyways, Valentine noticed that her body was heavier than he expected, he didn''t say anything but his hostility was apparent, one of his hands is even on his waist, ready to take out the knife. "Oh? forceful now?~" Rather than feel fear, Sasha smirked fearlessly and approached for a kiss, luckily or not, he moved his head back or they would have kissed right here. "Is that the reason you have been helping Vera? if that''s the case, we''re fucking off after I come back" Perhaps due to the favour she did for them, he allowed her to live, but seeing his disinterest to listen and his clear intention to just let this matter slide and leave her place today. Sasha felt irritated and took his arm harshly before he left her in the alleyway. "I''m only trying to help you... after nearly dying, do you still want to hold back with anything? you don''t know when anything could happen and you won''t have a chance to regret it, Vera went through a lot to save you!" "You''re unlike every demon we have met, stop meddling with our business, we have known each other way before you appeared, don''t act as if you know everything." He slapped her hand away in annoyance and started to walk away, not up for going to whatever brewery she was trying to take him. If it was so simple, he''d be in a relationship with the two of them since long ago. ''I''m someone that cares about you, fool...'' "I don''t know what happened to you in the past, but if you don''t man up, you''re going to lose the chance to be together with the two girls you love, and they will only drift apart from one another, remember that... this is hell, not the Earth." She followed him, aware that she just pissed him off, but... those are words that she wants to say. "I''ll consider your advice... but we''re still leaving." He uttered and kept walking back to the pub. "...." Chapter 68 - A Journey Of Two I "Fayette? Vera?" Valentine and Sasha arrived from the shopping spree after getting the equipment and a few potions that according to Sasha, would heal their missing limbs faster and help in combat if they ever needed it. They likely would. "They''re gone it seems." Sasha''s gaze moved around, she already knew they''re not here but she still gave the worried Valentine a sidelong glance from the back as he placed the things on the table. "Where...?" They didn''t accord that they would do anywhere, but if he knows Fayette, the woman won''t ask for permission to do anything, she''s proactive, sometimes he forgets the blonde is not just his woman but his companion too and Vera has also shown herself to be independent enough. At this stage, they can positively say that the Russian girl will be good without them, but she still chooses to stick around for obvious reasons. "Dunno, investigate? They''re not little girls... you don''t need to worry about them, especially Vera, in her case, I would be more worried about the demons~" She approached him slowly, trying to make light of the situation as he just sighed and accepted the reality of the situation, that indeed, they''re free to make their own calls and he trusts they will come back safe. "What are you going to do?" "I''ll sort our equipment and think of what to do from now on, where to go next..." He answered sternly, still thinking about leaving this pub and possibly the city as well, whatever is outside in that blood maiden forest that the green-skinned demon mentioned, can''t possibly be worse than the cursed alleyways. He literally feared to be wrong with that assessment. "Are you really leaving?" She asked with a tonality that suggested grief as if she''s sad that he''s truly thinking of leaving. "Correct" He answered and continued to check up the clothes, the bow and arrows that they bought, as for the potions, guess they''d test them when the moment of the truth is nigh or when any of them is missing a limb or two, they''re apparently called Baal''s drops and are extremely rare through the underworld as they require a special ingredient that comes from the Demon Earl Baal''s Castle. Demon Earl Baal... such a big name is not someone he has the leisure to care for right now. As he thought about those things a hand held his own tightly, with such a strong grip in fact that his internal alerts triggered at once! "Can you bear to leave me?~" *THUD!!* The next thing he knew was that he was being forcefully pinned to the wall! ''This woman, how is she this strong!?'' He furrowed his brows the moment he realised that he couldn''t move his hands at all! rather than hands, they resemble iron shackles! "Y-You! were you hiding your strength all along!?" "I was!~" The demoness'' eyes turned bloody as she approached, flushing her voluptuous body completely against him and going for the lips, ''I can''t stop now... they''re not here.'' But the demoness wouldn''t find her endeavour a simple one. *RUMBLE!!* !!! Because slowly but surely, Valentine started to move his hands away, the man grits his teeth to the point his mouth bled and a tyrannical white fire flashed within his pupils in retaliation! ''Impossible...'' She gaped inwardly, with this amount of strength he''s employing, how is it possible that he can still move!? Valentine took advantage of her surprise and moved his head back slightly, then... *BAAANGGG!!* !!! The demoness saw stars briefly, but so did he... hell, his skull might be cracked... Sasha received the headbutt of her life, that headbutt sounded like the clash between two trucks rather than two skulls! "Ugh! naughty boy!~" Sasha''s eyes shone with further blood as she sent a fist forward! *BOOOM!!!* Valentine evaded it, it hit the blocks behind him that composed the wall and created a big dent in it, something like that could have easily gone through his body! "Why are you so stubborn!? ugh!-" Having evaded the fist, he went with an elbow straight to the chest and connected. But Sasha who had only grunted slightly at the impact, just took advantage of this to hold his arm and deliver a knee-kick straight to his stomach! *COUGH!* He spat a mouthful of saliva and she threw him to the bed before jumping right on top of him! *BAANGG!!* "H-Have you calmed down? I won~" The demoness pinned both arms and placed her entire weight on top of him, she made sure to contain that kick just now, otherwise, who knows what might have happened. ''To think just as a mere human he''s already this strong... no wonder.'' *SPAT!* Valentine spat directly on her face with outrage and anger, something that only further fueled when the demoness licked his spit with her slippery tongue and smiled. "You''re a demon soldier...!" It has to be, her strength is simply too ridiculous, only against Bellcroft had he experienced this degree of strength. "Perhaps? I might have stepped in that stage without noticing~" "You''re a liar! as expected.. demons can''t be- hmn!" His words were directly interrupted when she bent down and in their current position, sealed his loud mouth once and for all! "Hmn!~" He bit on her tongue but rather than pull away, she instead bit on his! ''This woman!!'' Leaving a mess of saliva, she finally released after ten long seconds, the two had heaving chests at this stage, but he himself didn''t know if he should feel angered, confused or aroused... that was one of the best kisses he has had... but this is not the best of circumstances. ''Finally...'' A glint flashed through her red slitted eyes that turned warmer, but that visage got removed and replaced for a wicked grim the next moment. "I won, so I get to do with you what I want, right?" Her shameless knows no bounds, while they conversed she moved her tongue along his cheek, tasting and playing around, she still didn''t lose the grip she had on his entire body, this is not much different than the grip of a python. "Dream on" He still uttered, challenge is all he can do at this stage, this damned vixen has him cornered, a part of him is even willing to believe that she''s past the Demon Soldier... but that wouldn''t make sense, why would someone like her be doing this, lust? is she lusting that much? but then why isn''t she sucking his vitality as Lucretia did. Nothing this demoness is doing makes sense. "You liked it too... I can feel it down there. you''re just being morally righteous, but I can tell you''re loving this as much as I do... why be dishonest? it''s just the two of us now, no one is watching I can assure you that." The purple-skinned beauty teased back, aware that he''s not being honest. "Dream... on..." He still uttered with Fayette in his mind... and Vera too. "You''re delicious... I haven''t tasted your soul, you should have noticed it, Valentine... that''s not what I''m after." Seeing his insistence, she sighed and raised up, still not letting him go, but reigning her impulses a little, to draw disgust out of him is the least she desires. "Then what the fuck are you after? we barely know each other! I have known shameless women but you''re really testing my limits" He growled, and by limits, he means... how much he can allow the temptation to drift by his mind without being hindered. "I want to break your limits~ what are you going to do now? tell them that we kissed, that you touched my butt and we almost did it?~" "... I haven''t touched your butt." He uttered with raised eyebrows only to find the wicked demoness lay down against him and place his hands on her plump butt above her pants, it felt... springy and toned. ''Dammit'' He resisted the urge to pinch it. "Now you have, feel it up, how is it?~" That last wicked sentence whispered against his ear was all that was needed for his hand to move on their own, or not... and pinch that big butt... "You see? I''m not going to corrupt you, steal your soul or decimate your existence, Valentine... I just want us to be a little closer, is that too hard to understand? must you be so adamant in rejecting me?" "You''re aware of my entanglement with Fayette and Vera, I''d ask why you''re so insistent with this despite this being the case but... you''re a demoness, not a saint." He sighed and stopped his wicked hands that kept on pinching and fondling even as he spoke. "You can tell them if you want, but we''re going to be stabbed to death, do you dare take that risk?~" "... Is this some kind of hellish blackmail?" "It is~ one in which no one has to know, you''re going your way and I''m going mine, perhaps we won''t coincide ever again, who knows? why not enjoy each other while we still can?" Her hands loosened up progressively ready to restrain him were he to go funny, but she gave him a vote of confidence when she realised his hands were still on her butt. "I thought you said you were lesbian." He frowned, there is nothing in front of him that screams lesbian... in fact, this is a straightforward demoness that goes for what she wants when she wants. "I changed my mind~" "..." ''As if one can change their mind like that, liar.'' He knows he''s packing but to turn a lesbian demoness into a straight demoness, this is another degree of vanity achievement, this wench is obviously lying. "I know you want to stay loyal to them... but you can do so after we part ways, now... kiss me, no one has to know, just you and me." The chucklesome tonality gave way to sternness as she fully removed her hands from his and started to remove her top, leaving her big lumps floating and effectively nailing the last nail to the coffin, she knows... his heated gaze tells stories. "Nothing personal" He uttered, at last, moving his hand to her lusty purple breasts, the first of their kind he has touched or witnessed and forsaking the last wisp of restraint he had. ''It won''t be long...'' that''s what he said while cursing himself in his mind. "Nothing personal~" She uttered those words before their mouths clashed in an unimpeded frenzy, one in which one of his hands reshaped her breasts and the other sneaked inside her pants. Sasha was in heaven and Valentine was in hell, literally... her hands encircled his shoulder while the demoness devoured his lips. After a full minute of slippery noises and lust, he bit on hers to signal a time-out, one she was quite reluctant to give. "We''re not going all the way." He declared and planned to withhold this, it''s ridiculous, but this is the last line of defence. "Hehe~ if that makes you feel better, master~ as much as I want to, we can''t go all the way, bear that in mind... I have my own reasons." The demoness declared too and mawed on his chin, he didn''t bother to ask what her reason is, they''re nothing... just two individuals that lust after one another. "Are you going to keep calling me that?" He bit on one of her light-coloured nipples, it was a lighter shade of purple, it looked so tantalizing and delicious. "HMN!~ Y-Yes, I hope you like it~" Having completed their treaty she didn''t shy away from proactively taking away his shirt and pulling him down on the bed, whether Vera and Fayette would come shortly or not, they didn''t seem to care. But Valentine heard the lock of the door and that gave some reassurance to his accursed heart. Passion took over their bodies and the moans started, seeking a second of respite a single moment of lust that does nothing but further corrupt the heart. The Sin of Adultery. Chapter 69 - A Journey Of Two II A pair of cloaked beauties squeezed through the ceaseless demons through the main streets of the Mahogany Devilish City. "I feel like I want to slap someone... and my waist is itching." Fayette scratched her waist, feeling anger for some reason, they just reached this place, could it be the memories it brought? This place is near the coliseum. "How curious, so do I..." Vera too felt a sudden itch on her tight as the bloodthirstiness came back with a vengeance, one that she''s now capable of reigning in slightly. "We have to focus, there are more guards in this gate than expected... do you know how many gates are there?" The two of them stood close to the Western Gate, or at least one of them, this is the first one they found. "We could ask Sasha, the time that we were separated I didn''t thread around this city, what you know is the same I know, Faye." Vera restrain the bloodshed that her knife was eager to cause... there are four demon soldiers here, this is not something the likes of them can defeat even if Valentine was here, moreover, there are another ten demons checking up on everyone that comes in and out. ''So many cores...'' She thought that and shook her head right after. "I don''t trust that Sasha, Vera... were it not for you, I would have slit her throat already, I don''t even like leaving her alone with Valentine... sometimes he''s too much of a gentleman, he can slaughter a beauty he doesn''t know, but those he''s fond of..." Fayette sighed, not willing to leave this matter, ever since valentine departed with the seductive demoness, she''s feeling restless, she doesn''t want to act like a jealous girlfriend, but Valentine tends to have a soft spot for the women he ''befriends'' such as Vera and Elke. She feels she already has enough to deal with counting Vera... if he were to suddenly get funny with Sasha too... "Do you mean someone like me?~" Vera giggled, she doesn''t consider Sasha a threat at all. "Like you and me too, actually." Back when they were still in that forest, she''s lucky she and Valentine managed to connect quickly, perhaps due to the foreign circumstances they encountered themselves, if Valentine had a little more trust issues, they would be together right now, as for herself, as shameful as it is, she confesses that she made the first step in the relationship, rightfully so. Now, this demoness appears, she''s a bombshell and she''s the first demoness they can consider ''friendly'' ever since they arrived here, she can''t help but feel apprehension. "Don''t worry, she''s a diehard lesbian, the woman wanted to push me down the entire time, she won''t do anything to Vale" Vera uttered with a hundred per cent assurance. If only she knew... if only... she knew. "Really? don''t you think she might be lying?" Fayette, with her usual perspicacity, doubted the notion, there is something in Sasha''s demeanour that doesn''t really scream ''lesbian'' even if she can also be seen appreciating their bodies too, she has noticed it... 62% of the time, her eyes are on Valentine! Hence, she can''t be lesbian! ... A jealous girlfriend in action, worse, one that''s actually right with her judgement. "You''re paranoid, I''m telling you she even feels disgusted by men and her last lover was a woman, the previous Rose Thorn." Without being aware she walked straight into a trap, Vera delivered her deceiver''s message unknowingly. "If you say so... what do you mean by previous Rose Thorn? what is that?" The blonde decided to let the matter rest, perhaps she''s really lesbian and won''t do anything funny. Fayette inquired about the last words she just mentioned as the two ladies started to depart the gate, moving to the next target. "It''s a long story, but I know now why this weapon wasn''t bought by anybody... turns out it will kill you if you''re not worthy." She summarized that pretty well. "What?!" "Yes, it''s a cursed weapon, thankfully I was ''worthy'' otherwise, I might not be here now." Vera sighed and held her loyal knife, it had been a lucky encounter as much as it was unlucky, mind-control aside, if not for this world she wouldn''t have been able to save them, this weapon gave her the determination she needed and she wouldn''t change it for any other weapon. "And Vale used it as well... he used it as well back then to fight that Demon Soldier Bellcroft, could I use it? how do you determine who is worthy?" Something so magical doesn''t make sense within the commander''s mind. "I wouldn''t recommend that... it wants to kill you." "Eh, why!?" She doesn''t remember pissing on the knife''s mom''s corpse or anything, why does it suddenly want to kill her?! "Because I wanted to kill you too, you know for... that..." Vera spoke with awkwardness, even if they already addressed this matter, this is not something she likes discussing. "..." Fayette deadpanned and held her forehead in exasperation. "At least I''m being honest! it''s not what I want to do!" "Hmph! if being honest was all it took, there wouldn''t have been wars on the Earth!" "Forgive me alright? that''s not what I think deep within my heart, but this knife wants to kill you so... you can''t use it, don''t even try it." "Stupid knife! suck on this!" "..." The knife answered by increasing Vera''s bloodlust, one she had to reign in back once again before Fayette''s heterochromatic eyes, she visually regarded the girl struggling to not take out the knife and slice her throat. ''It''s more serious than I expected.'' "What should we do now?" Vera changed the subject, not wanting to explain to Valentine why she came by herself, though who would come out victorious of a fight between the two of them was still floating on the air, undetermined. "We can go to the next gate before heading back, I''m hungry... they should be back with some food already." "The Southern gate where we were planning to escape through?" "Yes, we could take the alleyways, it shouldn''t yet be time for the Mahogany Tree to begin its ''hunt''... I noticed there are a lot more Demon Soldiers now than before, but none of them recognises us or inspects us, I think they''re more focused on Valentine as he''s the one that got the most attention, it was the right call to investigate by ourselves instead of him." She said as they took the right corners to evade the right people. "Perhaps because, unlike the first day, we now look more... human-like." Rather than the clean trio wearing pyjamas for the first time, now they''re dirty and coated with blood... yes, now they look more like humans in the netherworld. "I want to take a shower, I hope that demoness has one of those in her pub." "Me too!" ''And perhaps I could get some action today... as a reward~'' ** ** "OHH!!~ Y-YOU BEAST! L-LET ME GO!! AHN!~" Sasha''s waist bent upwards in ecstasy as she felt pleasure like none she has ever felt, meanwhile, the speed at which she stroked her hand also increased, two sweaty naked bodies lay against one another as Valentine grunted and tried to finish this quickly, but as expected... a demoness has stamina. She''s screaming that but she won''t stop stocking... ''I need to change to covers...'' The proof of their lust is everywhere, and even Sasha''s appearance has changed, she''s seemingly unable to control herself with this pleasure on the table. "UGH!!" He climaxed in her hand, producing a sense of accomplishment in the demoness that despite that, didn''t stop, instead, she licked her hand and lips, feeling how his digits went deep inside, right where his tongue had been, it had only been two hours and they have played a lot of games, right now the demoness showed her true form as a pair of big wings sprang through her back with a long tail entangling one of his legs. This is the ''true'' demoness, Sasha. ''You want to finish quickly, master, I w-won''t allow you ahn!~'' The way he''s roughing her up is beyond torturing, maybe because she''s a ''demon'' he doesn''t have any contemplating with her, forcing the demoness to the most shameful of poses and the most ecstatic delights. "You''re unexpectedly weak down here... are you really a demoness? perhaps you''re truly lesbian and you''re not used to this kind of... stimulation~" He pinched her pearl, basking at the wetness and the density of the liquid that flowed unhindered. ''How good would it feel to stick something in there...'' he thought, his mind mirroring hers. "I-I''m not... UHM!~ M-Master!" She held the bedsheets and stroked faster, feeling how he stopped talking only to stimulate yet another spot, her right breast. "AHHN!!~" The fun continued for yet another two climaxes before Valentine decide to stop them, the girls should be about to come back, and they have to clean... Clean the evidence. "I didn''t know you had wings... and a tail." He intended to stand up and prepare to clean the place up, but her hand stopped him as she panted. "Master, allow me to..." She gulped with her predatory gaze straight at his soaked crotch, she wants to clean it, directly... "Go and take a shower, they should be back shortly and a locked door is not enough." He uttered with a frown even as she continued approaching, clearly not willing to follow along, she''s far from having enough, in fact... she''s starting to go back on her earlier words. ''I want to go to the very end, master...'' "... b-but UHMN!~" As she prepared to retaliate, a mouth biting on her lips stopped her from doing so. "Are you going to disobey me now? I learnt your weakness, Sasha, don''t let me exploit it so soon." He doesn''t know why this demoness who is clearly this strong, ended up being the submissive type... ridiculously so, she''d become putty within his arms as if he owned her very soul, it was an arousing sight that he couldn''t get tired of, but one that couldn''t surpass what he had with Fayette and therefore, they have to stop. "You''re lucky that we can''t go all the way... I would... the things I would do to you..." She bit on her lips with ultimate reluctance only to be pushed away by him mercilessly, he even threw her a towel. ... "Go now!" He uttered when she took the towel, wrapped it around her sweaty body and approached him taking his lips once again with a sultry smile. "Your tongue is better than your fingers, in myriad ways~" The demoness threw the last wink as if to finish the party in a good mood and walked to the shower room... "..." Valentine remained in the room, naked, sweaty... and with an erection, despite being tortured, the sight of that swaying butt wrapped tightly on a towel, produced this result from him. ... ''What am I going to do...? fuck...'' He fucked up, he''s completely aware of it, and now.... he has to fix it. Chapter 70 - Hell In The Wake Of Heaven The pair of auburn and blonde beauties finally entered the pub after a small journey of two, three gates visited, three gates heavily guarded. They met a Valentine who was dressed in messy clothes and looked rather exasperated, moreover... it looked like he was waiting for something. And the atmosphere was thick and musky. "You''re back..." He said in resignation but curiously or perhaps not, neither of the two women answered. "..." "..." Both Vera and Fayette furrowed their brows and moved their gazes all around, the room looked... normal, but the bed sheets were changed... and... there is some weird smell. The bedsheets aren''t the problem, the problem is the smell and his appearance. Valentine sighed and his visage grew even more outraged, that woman... he should have just gone and washed with her, why the fuck did she last so long!? ''There is nothing to do anymore... just take it like a champ.'' *THUD!* ''And now you come out!?'' "Uff, that was such a pleasurable shower~" Sasha came out sporting her two big wings and tail, covered in a slim towel that barely concealed her assets, in fact, one of her nipples was wide visible. "... Sasha..." Vera''s gaze contained a mysterious glint that was nothing short of betrayal. Meanwhile, if gazes could kill, Sasha would have already been mercilessly slaughtered by the blonde''s piercing eyes. "I think the three of you should go and take a shower as well, I''ll go to my private chambers alright?~" She sent them a wink, even going as far as to send a kiss Valentine''s way before making her way out, turns out... she had a room all along. Valentine felt like killing someone, at the end of the day, he won''t be able to conceal it, and perhaps it''s better this way. "We will speak later, Sasha." Fayette uttered as the demoness made her way out, none of the two seemed to care about her wings or tail, they only cared about this distinctive smell that couldn''t be confused with anything else! "If you want to talk, I can talk with you as much as you want, you too, Vera... but, the first talk to your boyfriend~, see you later, master~" ''YOU WENCH!!'' She set him up good! While the atmosphere became as tense as an increasing vacuum, Sasha swung her hips and departed, closing the door behind what would later be a battle zone. ''You''re not the type to conceal things, master~ consider this my last favour to you, let''s see if you''re going to be able to deal with it~'' ** ** "..." "..." "..." No words were exchanged, but holes were are being dug! "Let''s take a shower first, Faye, Vera." He proposed, they have to begin somewhere and he''s perfectly aware there is nothing these two ladies love more than a shower. "Sure... let''s take a shower~ you go in first while we undress and prepare." Fayette smiled and waved her hands, indicating him to go first as they prepared to undress. "I can wait for you to undress..." He insisted but it was hopeless. "No no, Valentine, just go, I''m sure you want to take a shower more than us, right?~" Vera followed along with Fayette''s intentions, and it was at that moment Valentine knows he''s fucked... Vera called him by his complete name, thankfully, she didn''t call him Mr Wagner, otherwise, he might as well slit his own throat now. "..." He had to sigh and enter the bathroom, but not before taking his clothes out right in front of them and throwing them aside with a deep glare, the musk became more prominent together with his sweat... there is nothing to conceal... that hard-on, that lust from someone else''s body can''t be hidden. In these situations is better to dig the grave to the end than leave seeds for the future. He went into the shower, perhaps this is the best... ever since he finished the little affair, he''s been feeling guilty with Fayette. Like this, he has time to think about what he''s going to say to salvage this situation, but he wouldn''t have ever expected that things were worse than his deepest machinations. The moment he went into the room, silence took over the room with Fayette taking matters into her own hands, literally, she started to undress too and get naked, showing her graceful self then scratched her itching waist a bit before taking one of her horntails with a firm grip and heading into the bathroom. But a shaking hand held her in place! !!! "Release me... in fact, take your knife, I need your help, I can''t take him on in close quarters" Fayette whispered, not wanting the cheating bastard to know that he''s already sentenced, she sent him in because they have better chances to take him on a small bathroom than this big room filled with artefacts. "What are you going to do!?" Vera repressed her voice but her exasperation was clear, she was screaming for blood, but not Valentine... Sasha''s. She wanted to slice that slut''s neck right now, but she also can''t let Valentine off, right now she''s too confused to think clearly, what happened in this room is evident, and more than feeling betrayed due to the fact that he did it with Sasha, she feels betrayed that he didn''t do it with her first! They''re in the ''process'' of including her in this relationship, and that slut just comes as if the house belongs to her! "I''m going to kill that fucker and then crush my own crystal, are you with me or not?!" Fayette had it clear in her mind, she''s not letting this go... she should have followed her instincts and killed the bitch the moment she saw her. Now there is nothing to do, there won''t be a better chance to kill that cheater than now, as for Sasha? she doesn''t care... Fayette will bring the two of them to nothingness. ... Amidst her muddle-headedness, Vera didn''t think in all the sacrifice she went through to save them, instead, only the itch in her tight and the bloodlust coming from the knife revered, but the eerie knife actually had other plans! ''KILL THE DEMONESS AND SWALLOW HER CORE, THEN SLIT THE BLONDE''S THROAT FROM THE BACK AND HE''S YOURS!! DO IT! DO IT NOW!!'' ''SHUT IT!'' "If you''re determined, then let''s kill him together... but then what about Sasha... I want to murder that whore too..." She''s not letting her go, she lied when she said she''s lesbian, this was her plan all along! "I don''t care about that bitch, if you want her, she''s yours... he betrayed me, betrayed us..." Fayette flung her hand away from Vera''s "Now it''s us...? let''s think this through..." The Russian beauty wanted to take a more sobered decision, this is not a casual matter of what they''re going to do. "I have nothing to think, are you coming with me or not?" The commander wouldn''t budge, she''d cut his member first, then kill him... as his girlfriend, this is her right! The French Tyrant is back. "..." Vera bit on her lips and took her Rose Eagle Thorn. ** ** The bathroom was in fact a closed place with less than three square metres, a shower, a toilet and a sink... compared to the hotel''s massive bathroom, this is like a Japanese prison. He sat on the toilet, thinking, thinking and thinking. ''What a fuckup, in fact, why did I even accept such a risky entanglement? it''s not something I would do, is Sasha THAT sexy? it can''t be... even with Christine I was never this risky, fuck... Faye'' Thankfully, he never went to the end, but that is not even an argument he could use at this point... if Fayette came telling her that she allowed herself to be fingered by some other man, saying that she didn''t ''get penetrated'' he''d still murder the two of them, in a bloody were it possible. No matter how much he thought, he couldn''t come up with anything other than just admitting his mistake and asking for forgiveness, but knowing the blonde tyrant, even that is not guaranteed to succeed, she has repeated numerous times that if he cheated, she''d slice his dick... and here he went and cheated. Bloody idiot. He looked at his still raging erection impulsed by Sasha''s lusty body and sighed. ''You''re courting death... I would care normally but you''re courting my death too, friend''. ... ''Fayette likes massages... I could give her a massage, for fuck''s sake, Sasha... careful if I don''t murder you after this.'' He thought, there is no other explanation, she planned this from the beginning, but why? why did she expect to achieve? Alas, If YOU survive after this. ... *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* "Valentine, the room is locked!" Fayette uttered from the other side of the door. "The door is unlocked....? yes it is." He glanced in the door''s direction, yes, it''s unlocked. "Are you sure? I can''t open it." She moved the door hand several times as if to reiterate. "Let me see..." Valentine stood up to check up and open the door, but then, his instincts rang too late! !!!! *BAAANGGGGG!!!!* The door blasted straight at his face! Chapter 71 - Take The Horns By The Bull I Valentine held his bleeding nose, the door was kicked so hard that it cracked. *WOOSH!!* !!! He moved his head aside with the swiftness of a gale and a knife swiped through! "Have you gone insane!?" "..." But Fayette''s bloodshot eyes wouldn''t hear words, what''s worse, another knife moved towards his leg, no, his crotch!! *SLASH!!* The Rose Eagle Thorn cut through his leg as he managed to dodge in time to preserve his manhood! Insane! they have gone insane! "Let''s talk this-!" *BANG!!* Fayette took advantage of the opening Vera caused and threw a kick straight to his abdomen, taking him further inside the small bathroom and right where she wanted him. *THUD!* Vera''s shivering hand closed the door! What took place next was an utter assault in which Valentine technically had to create miracles to evade their knives, cuts marred his arms until eventually, Fayette jumped and rolled her arms around his neck to lock him up! "VERA, DO IT NOW!!" With the blonde''s shout as the omen, the Rose Thorn focused her bloodied gaze to Valentine''s hand covered with a tattoo, still... she doubted, her hand shivered as she bit her lips and her eyes turned watery. She doesn''t yet know if she wants to do this or not. *RUMBLE!!* "YOU TWO! GET A GRIP!!" *BAAAANGGG!!!* The kick was so strong that Vera coughed and burst through the bathroom door! Valentine''s eyes lit up with flame, similarly to Fayette''s as he pushed his body back harshly against the wall! *BAANGG!!* *COUGH!* Fayette coughed some saliva but she still didn''t loosen her grip, in fact, she lifted herself up and enveloped him like a koala, making sure to have a firm grip of his neck, but Valentine wasn''t one to give up either, seeing that she didn''t plan to let go, he grit his teeth with one hand trying to keep his neck loosened from her wrestling. He ran outside of the bathroom, as long as he wasn''t in that enclosed space, he could fight the two of them better, right now, there is only one thing he has to focus on... restrain them. Vera was already standing up, she didn''t expect him to kick her like that, they have fought before, dozens of times, but this is the first time they''re not training. ''STOP! WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING HIM!!?'' The berserk bloody knife shouted inside her head, but the more it talked the more outraged she got! Isn''t this bloody knife too biased!? and why is it supporting him?! ''I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP! HE SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT TO ME FIRST!'' ''...'' The knife was left speechless at her reasoning. Vera staggered up and caught sight of the running Valentine who came crashing together with Fayette, she readied her knife to impale him in the way, but as before, her determination waver but for a moment, she evaded him by sliding to the side and catching her evasion, Valentine jumped straight against the rough wall, back first! *BAAANGGG!!!* Fayette once again received the brunt of the impact, so hard indeed that the entire wall bent outwards! She once again coughed this time blood and released her grip, falling on the group like a rotten flower, Valentine coughed a bit in complication, he didn''t like seeing her like that at all, it''s his fault, but he has to restrain her until she calms down. "Stay there please..." The earlier exchange taught him well enough that this woman does intend to finish him off, Vera is doubting, but Fayette does want to kill him. "B-Bastard... I won''t... forgive you." She mumbled with a bloodshot gaze as if the person in front of her is not her boyfriend, it was her enemy. "You''re exaggerating... I didn''t fuck her... do you want to slaughter me just because of this?!" He prepared to fight Vera, he knew he had a gap of a few seconds until Fayette stood up again. "Liar! You lying bastard! you even changed the bedsheets! I told you if you cheated on me from day one! I would kill you and then myself!" "I thought you weren''t this serious..." He lunged at Vera who was firmly awaiting his knife in hand, the latter didn''t say a word, her expression just looked hurt. When he lunged at her, he prepared to give a kick but seeing her decayed stance and depressed gaze, he stopped... "..." "..." Her slight sobs resonated then, followed by the sound of the falling knife and then, her knees gave away. She didn''t want to fight, she only wanted to sob. "Vera..." "I have worked so hard for this... how could you?" She literally fought all her fears for their sake, for this? "I''m sorry... I don''t have excuses... allow me to fix it." He sighed and knelt in front of her, embracing her... He doesn''t know how to fix it, but he needs time to think about something, regret... "How are you going to fix it? the deed is done! you tried to conceal it, Valentine!" He didn''t pay attention to the berserk Fayette who was preparing to lunge once again, no matter what he said, she wouldn''t calm down, he needed to put Vera to sleep first. *PANG!* With a swift hit to the back of her neck, Vera fell in his arms unconscious. "You see what you have done? I had discussed with her, to let her into our relationship, to make you happy... but now, I want to kill you, Valentine. How are you going to fix this? my feelings... how are you going to fix them!?" Fayette was relentless, she didn''t cry, she was too pissed to do so. "..." While Fayette prepared herself for the last struggle, Valentine took Vera in his arms and placed her on the bed softly. "I''ll force you..." "Ha?!" "If words won''t work, I''ll force you to forgive me, Faye." "You''re having delusions!" "Let''s do this!" *BAANGG!!* ** ** "UGH..." "HMN!~" Fayette slowly regained her consciousness, she lost... all she could hear were the slight moans coming from the side that gradually got louder, they were suppressed yet filled with infatuation and delight. As the haze within the lady''s heterochromatic eyes, ceased, she moved her bewildered gaze to the side, she tried to move her arms and noticed that they were bound, just like her legs... Bound to the bed tightly by the bedsheets that she couldn''t shake away or untangle. Ultimately, her gaze came upon a moaning Vera who entangled her man deeply within her legs as they enjoyed each other''s flesh with reckless abandon, devouring each other''s lips, a never-ending struggle. !!!! "Y-You two!" "AHN!~" Vera Sidorov moaned like she never did before, she moaned delightfully and then some more, tightening her embrace and her soothing insides. She couldn''t stop her melodious tones from seeking freedom within the room, because she finally got what she desired, this primal union with the man she loves. ... She had woken up to the sight of hands playing with her softly yet skillfully, initially, she didn''t know what to think, why is he doing this? "Valentine, this hmn~, won''t solve anything..." She moaned slightly at his caresses, only to notice her hands were bound. "I know, Vera, but it will be a beginning..." His fingers moved around as his tongue moved through her abdomen, only now did Valentine get to become acquainted with Vera''s body, other than looking from afar, he hadn''t paid special attention to it. She had several little scars scattered around her body, not as remarkable as Fayette''s but they gave her toned and plump body an alluring detail which most men wouldn''t appreciate, but he loved. As if her body was carved up for him just like Fayette''s, these two are fated to be his. Vera''s pants increased with every caress, her gaze fixed down and looking how her crush freely had his way with her body while she was bound and powerless, the excitement increased by the second while struggled to stubbornly hold his adultery in her head, she didn''t want to appear as if he could do anything and she would forgive him, even if it was like that. ''Yes, I needed to show myself strong and imposing like Faye, otherwise, this bastard will do whatever he wants and cheat left and right!'' therefore, she held back her moans and furrowed her brows, a great effort. "Why? just answer me, why couldn''t you wait for me?" She asked, to her it felt unfair that she had waited for so long, only for Sasha to get what''s rightfully hers, he said they didn''t do it, but it''s the same, with this heavy musk permeating the room, how couldn''t they have done it!? Valentine''s tongue didn''t stop running circles along with her belly button as his fingers crawled down to the glorious crevice, but he deemed it worthy to answer her enquiry even as his corrupting hands roamed on and about, this is his only way to ask for forgiveness, to give this woman what the two of them desire the most, in front of Fayette, soothe her insecurities. "She tempted me... and I fell like a fool, as I told you, I have no excuse, I won''t blame her either, it was me who was weak... as for waiting for you, I don''t pretend to wait anymore, Vera... I''ll make you mine right now." Words said, he continued his onslaught on her flesh, relentless like he ever faced every foe. !!! "Y-You can''t, now I don''t want to..." When she felt his arms parting her legs, showing her entire self to him, her heart accelerated, but she still needed to put a little more struggle, alas, her muscles wouldn''t listen... her legs helped him settle in front of her garden, ready for plundering, never had she stretched herself before such. The lack of force made a smile form in Valentine''s face as he lay his entire weight on her, her legs parted aside, he was a centimetre from the conquer, the bringer of euthanasia wouldn''t lie and say he wasn''t thrilled... he''d rather do this with Vera than with three Sashas, his length exposed his status, a lust-filled will to go in and forward. "Too late, you saved our lives, now you''re tied with us until the very end, and I don''t plan to allow the two of you to finish it so quickly." He answered and aligned himself with that moist and slimy spot. "Hmn~" A slight moan that fired countless torchers in his blood was released upon the briefest of contacts, Vera regarded Fayette to the side and her blood boiled as well, they''re doing this in front of Fayette, he''s claiming her in front of Fayette, she''s bound to wake up and at that moment it will be undeniable... their relationship and love. With those thoughts in mind, her legs enveloped him further, intending to take him in faster and swiftly declining the determination left to struggle at last. "There is no need for words, just now how much I love you, you''re not the only one that has been holding back, Vera." He confessed the feelings that existed long ago, and the torch within her heart turned into a blaze as her infatuated eyes held back no more. "V-Vale... untie me..." She requested, right now she NEEDS to embrace him, but her soon to be a man had other plans, more thrilling plans. "Not yet, I want to hold you like this now." He moved back and forth, rubbing along that crevice and torturing her soul, their soul... but he needed to cause the most impact in her, leave her without the energy to struggle, to recall his sin, he needed to clean himself thoroughly within her mind, and replace that sadness with pleasure. And Valentine knows exactly the steps he needs to take, working wonders on Vera''s flesh as her mind turned progressively hazy, the flesh is weak they say and she''s in the process of asserting this affirmation. "Hmn~ p-put it in." Their lips graced each other, her hands struggling to set herself free against this obnoxious bound wrapping her hands and placing her one step away from embracing the love of her life. If that wasn''t enough, each slight rub of his ''nut'' and her ''pearl'' send an electric shock that left her so powerless that she couldn''t do anything more than just grace his lips and awaited the unimpeded judgement, how much she craves this, it''s immeasurable. Hearing her craving, Valentine knew he hit home, and without further delay, aligned himself in the right place and started his intrusion, that pleasurable and unforgettable moment for the two of them. "HMN!~" "Ugh!" A moan and a grunt began a journey to the stars as the scenery of the netherworld seemed to be replaced for that of the heavens within their minds. "Hmn~ I love you, Vale... always..." Those words were said by themselves, they came out on their own without asking for permission, utterly obliterating whatever resistance was left. "I love you too, Vera." He sealed her lips at that moment, entering an inch every minute or at least, that''s how the beauty perceived it, slowly, torturing yet wonderful. His hands moved up to hers and he started to untangle the bedsheets slowly, letting his muscles work onto that mighty thrust in which Vera''s hips raised up as she gaped. ''Oh my god, this is so wonderful!'' Her mind is giving away, haze claims comprehensions and muddles the sense. Valentine wouldn''t compare the two, both Fayette and Vera are unique, and therefore, he''d enjoy this experience with his entire heart, Fayette''s figure gradually disappeared from the bed as he nestled himself entirely inside Vera, making both of their pleasures hit a crescendo in which he took the bedsheets from her hands and untied them. And then, the lovers entangled into a frenzy of passion that ensued in the form of a slow and soothing lovemaking one in which a year of repressed tension would be released, never to come back. Chapter 72 - Taking The Horns By The Bull II Three tablespoons of passion, seven ounces of love, a bit of lust... and five gallons of killing intent and outrage. Two breaths merged within the darkness of the room after an outbreak of ecstasy, Vera is satisfied, she never expected to be sated so quickly after merely three rounds... due to her previous ''conditions'' she had developed a certain apathy to the act of sex, but what she experienced today is something that she can''t describe. As the sages say, there is always a first time for everything, and for her, this is the first time she has ''made love'' rather than just engage in a distasteful carnal rendesvouz. It felt so thoroughly satisfying, that the happenings of the last two hours seemed to vanish from her head only to be replaced with the most utter sense of love an infatuation for the man before her, the one who had introduced her to the wonders of being a woman, the wonders of being alive. Hell had vanished to give way to paradise, the utter demonstration that happiness is not environmental or physical, it''s sentimental. She is, however, aware of the killing intent coming from the side, worse than any demon soldier and more intimidating than the netherworld itself. Her long-cherished dream had come true, Valentine had taken her in front of Fayette and made her his woman, he had shown the latter that he wasn''t going to budge of this, it''s either the three of them together, or none at all. Sadly, this is not something the blonde seemed to appreciate, and therefore Vera threw that concern to the back of her head and blamed everything on Valentine, since he dared to do this, then just like what he did with Sasha, he must have the means to salvage this situation, yep... she''s not moving a single finger to help him... in fact... there is something else that she can do, she HAS to do. "How was it?" He asked while raining kisses along her neck. Lifting not his weight or unfolding their skin as her sweaty chest clashed against his in a lusty splendour. Even now her arms embraced him just as her legs behind his waist, refusing to let go, the seed had already been planted within the garden and there is nothing left, but just the warmth of this position soothed the two of them, for better or for worse, Vera had taken the entire weight of his accumulated lust... with his regeneration working full throttle, dare he say that she''s a little more than just ''filled''. "I loved it... every single bit of it" She answered with a smile and only then did she turn to look at the ferocious beast beside her. "..." There a tightly bound Fayette regarded them not with bloodshot eyes, her heterochromatic perfect eyes looked rather pristine and normal, but they concealed a depth that was difficult to address, she didn''t cry, didn''t yell or course, she just stared and blinked. But Valentine knew better, this resembled a tiger full of wisdom prepared to hunt than a calm lake, she''s not peaceful... she''s just... quiet. Fayette had witnessed how her man made love to Vera in a form so passionate that it had perhaps equalled their first time together in the hotel, and she didn''t know what to feel, it is complicated... why? she doesn''t know... it hurts less than it hurt when she realised the clues about Sasha''s incident. Is it because it''s Vera? it does indeed feel uncomfortable but it doesn''t hurt... ''I''m must be going insane, t-this bastard is clearly cheating on me, right in front of me... if I don''t kill him, I''m not Fayette Blanchet!'' She thought, trying to steer her mind in the right direction, logic says she should be pissed, outraged, unforgivable, and so... this is how she must show herself in front of them. "I-I''m sorry, Faye... I couldn''t resist." Vera apologised to Fayette, the two of them were supposed to punish Valentine, but as it turned out, she just got what she desired and doesn''t intend to continue with any more strife, in fact... she doesn''t want to slaughter Sasha anymore. Unlike Fayette, from the beginning she didn''t hold any ill will towards Sasha getting on with Valentine, in fact, they had already talked this before and she accepted it, so long as she was the number two, something that the dirty vixen didn''t respect, hence, her outrage. "I didn''t expect you to..." Fayette responded and set her gaze on Valentine who was also looking at her with the gaze of an eagle. She awaited what he''s going to do next with several hypotheses in her mind, he''s either going to try and apologise or try to make love to her and then beg for forgiveness, regardless, there''s no way she''s forgiving him! Alas... Without uttering a single word, Valentine raised from a reluctant Vera who after an initial struggle, allowed him to go as he released himself from her insides, giving way to a slightly tantalising ''pool'' of their merged souls. By now Fayette expected him to mount her, but... that didn''t happen. !!! He took her fiercely and placed her on top of Vera with her butt raised up high, no cordiality at all! "W-What are you doing?! let me go! isn''t this the part where you apologise?!" She turned her head back with arms now bound to her back, lifting up her butt inadvertently as her head fell on Vera''s breasts, the latter just paid attention to the ensuing events, wondering how Valentine is going to resolve this, so far? he''s mad. "Who said that?" The reaper smiled warmly and held her naked butt and sighed, it''s unfair... he loves the two of them but Fayette''s body is unfairly superior. Bigger butt, round buxom breasts with two pink pearls that begged to be sucked, a slim waist, golden hair that flows down her hips and those eyes... she''s out of this world, and now he''s going to have his way with her too and try to ''convince her''. Thankfully, Vera can compensate for that with her passion even as her propositions aren''t that far behind, she knows how to move every atom of her body to please her partner, and he had thoroughly enjoyed her ministrations the last hour just like he would until their crystals shattered and they finally departed this accursed place, turning into nothingness. "You''re supposed to apologise now! are you wrong in the head or something!?" The blonde suppressed her moans while conjuring a mantra in her mind whilst his hands corrupted her determination. ''Don''t get horny, don''t get horny, DON''T GET HORNY!'' "I never said I was right in the head, this is hell, remember? moreover...apologising won''t work, I came to realise that you''re way more dangerous than I thought, Faye... you didn''t think twice before going for the kill." His gaze turned stern as his index finger went inside that cave... !!! Ups, wrong cave. "Hmph! Y-You! Valentine! this was a wake-up call! I''ll train harder to kill you!" That unexpected invasion unnerved her further but, a flame lightened up as she moaned, one she knew existed only for him but didn''t want to awaken now of all moments. She''s a possessive woman, one that when she loves, loves to the end and beyond, she can give her life in exchange to save the person she''s infatuated with and awaits the same in return, so far never had she found someone to correspond her infatuation until now... that''s why when she realised what he did, she couldn''t take it. Still, Valentine wasn''t any less compromised with this relationship. ... "Come at me whenever you want, but until then... you''re mine, Fayette... I had been taking a passive stance in this relationship and tried to consider your opinion, have the two of us be equal and love each other with respect... perhaps due to the circumstances we live, or the place we roam... I didn''t want to lose you" He confessed sternly. "..." She gaped slightly at his preposition and so did Vera, is he opening up now of all times? "That''s why despite the fact that I loved Vera, I wanted to respect what we have and tried to cast her aside on numerous occasions... trying to learn from my previous mistake which took away the ones that I cared for... I hoped that Vera would one day leave on her own and did my best to train her so that when that happened, she wouldn''t have any detriment, but that didn''t happen, I''m sorry..." "..." "I realised that I didn''t want her to depart... go outside and get injured, or kidnapped, abused... or even die, I didn''t want her to go through that..." "I... I didn''t want that either, I''m not a heartless bitch..." Fayette blushed and evaded Vera''s progressively warmer gaze, the three of them had truly reached this degree of cohesion and familiarity. She felt happy to be here right now. "I know this has nothing to do with my betrayal, it''s my mistake... but I won''t allow you to end Vera''s efforts, if I have to change I will... but you must give me another chance." He said, not expecting any immediate response from Fayette. "..." And she didn''t, the beauty just remained silent as if in deep thoughts, sadly, she doesn''t have that leisure. "I won''t let any of you depart my side, my promises are empty and I''m lacking honour due to the consequences of my actions, but aside from the two of you I won''t have anyone else and therefore, in order to make you accept this, I''ll change the status of our relationship, Faye." He smiled and his hands wandered further. "...?" She felt an ominous feeling approaching. "I''m stronger than you two... so you will have to be mine, whether you like it or not...!" The two beauties bit their lips at that moment while Fayette resisted the urge to smile, she lives this possessiveness from him, but she can''t say that out loud. "Your words are empty! UGH!" Valentine planted her head in Vera''s breasts and prepared for the main course, one he''s sure to enjoy. "Embrace her for me, Vera." He ordered. Vera did embrace Fayette''s head against her chest with a smile, serving as a comfy bed for the blonde who is about to get manhandled, still, she has her own plans... her quivering hands moved to the tie around Fayette''s hands, one that surely the latter could free herself from and is just making things more difficult for the three of them on purpose. "Y-You!" Fayette felt betrayed, she clearly has the numerical disadvantage here. "Faye, he won''t do it again!" Vera tried to make her reason with a smile, knowing that by this stage Fayette is just going through a period of false bravado that will stop the moment penetration is unavoidable. "You believe him!? Hmn!~ s-stop opening it!" She groaned slightly when her sopping flesh got spread open, giving way for a single finger to enter and prod wantonly. "What do we have here... hmn... wet... how curious." He smirked, loving the fact that her body is so honest, she will never admit it herself, but her body is always a dead giveaway, under his touch, she can''t lie. When they''re together her body doesn''t belong to her, it''s his delightful piano that he plays to his heart''s content. "I hate you..." those were the only words she could utter, knowing that she already lost, Valentine betrayed her, Vera betrayed her, her body betrayed her and her mind is about to succumb, what else is there to fight for? "And I love you... I didn''t know you were a cellopath, even when I''m already like this for you... I''m always like this for you, Faye." "Hmn!~" She moaned when she felt the hardness firmly press against the door of judgement, the one in which her feelings wouldn''t be further concealed and the truth of her existence would come to life. "Vera, I''ll.. get you back for this! and you, I-If you have the balls, untie me..." That was her last struggle, the last bit of hope she had now, not to kill Valentine but to turn around the situation and regain a little of her lost pride as a commander, she had succumbed to her man''s schemes and hands, all honour is almost lost. But a wisp of sisterhood shall save the day. "Hmph! Only a fool would fall for such- VERA!?" Valentine visually mocked her pitiful attempt to engage in mental strife, there is no way he would fall for that, but he gaped when Vera untied the piece of bedsheet that held Fayette''s hands! COUNTER-BETRAYAL!? "I''m sorry... I love you Vale, but you have to pay back for what you did somehow...I forgive you... but still, I can''t just let you fuck me, corrupt my mind and let you go as if nothing happened!" !!!! The turns were literally tabled so quickly that he found himself easily pinned to the bed by Fayette and Vera together! "Get his legs... and lock him in place!" Fayette regained her vigour, yes, this is all she needs! Within mere seconds, Valentine found himself with his hands pinned over his head, a blonde beauty seating on his crotch and another beauty locking his legs in place. He had lost. Chapter 73 - Until Fate Reunites Us, Once More... "Uffff..." Three sweaty bodies fell on the bed, a musky scent permeating them. Both ladies embraced their man tightly and breathed roughly, releasing a hazy breath with every exhalation. Ultimate infatuation filled their eyes and the same had to be said for Valentine who embraced both of their waists tightly against him, feeling as if he was in a dream of some sort. "We won''t get pregnant, right? you didn''t put a cloth." Vera asked and touched the overflowing seed that came out of her crotch, a bit of apprehension together with a degree of expectation clouded her mind, however, Valentine and Fayette looked at one another at the word that she mentioned, especially Valentine, painful thoughts moved through his mind, the curse of imagination. "A cloth?" He stuttered, that must be painful. "Yes, that''s what we use to stop pregnancy, right?" Vera recalled that she used that in her early days, it was horrible but it did its job... after that, torture and humiliation erased her capacity to bring life to the world, something that she rejoiced upon back then, but now... she couldn''t help but think about a little Valentine or a little Vera running around, she knows they''re strong enough now "I forgot she''s from the 1900s, that must have been what they used back then... we don''t use that in the future Vera, that''s... painful." Fayette flinched at the thought of having such a thing inside her and caressed Vera''s hand, this poor soul, she really went through a lot just for living in those times. "We don''t have to worry, I was not infertile, so if I''m not pregnant yet, it''s because it''s impossible..." She said, after having an active sexual relationship with Valentine, she would be pregnant already if it was possible. The three of them sighed for different reasons and eventually, Valentine caressed both of their heads as they basked in each other''s presence and looked at the ceiling. Not too long ago they were doomed, now the three of them are together in here once again, in fact... not too long ago HE was doomed. "Did you like it?" He asked both of his ladies, taking a long whiff of Fayette''s hair that sadly, had a bit of a liquid of dubious precedence in it, he then did the same with Vera, not yet believing that such breathtaking ladies were both together with him in this netherworld. He never lacked women, but these two are by far the most remarkable, the three of them had surpassed a barrier today and things wouldn''t be the same again. "Yes, it was..." Vera began with a smile, caressing his chest. "ugh, wonderful..." and Fayette finished, groaning a little as her crotch hurt, the two of them went full-blown at each other, she had to receive the onslaught while he tried to regain control through the entire intercourse, in the end with Vera''s help, she won. But at what cost? she''d likely not be able to walk until tomorrow. "So... am I forgiven?" Hearing their infatuated responses, Valentine saw the light and asked. "No." But the two of them giggled and shut him down. "..." "But you are on a good path, I will later decide what you have to do to earn your forgiveness, ugh.. d-did you have to thrust that hard?" The blonde retorted, looking for a position that wouldn''t hurt her ass so much, yes... her ass. They had surpassed that realm today. "Says the one that humphed madly..." He rolled his eyes, the battle had not been any less intense than the one against bellcroft, just that this one was pleasurable and unforgettable. "L-Let''s sleep, I''m happy and tired... and pained, I think I had my first time again..." Vera giggled further and moved a finger in circles around his chest, it felt so wonderful that she didn''t have words to describe it, right now she only wants to sleep a little and regain her strength. "Glad to know." Valentine kissed her forehead and allowed her to fall within his arms but she didn''t sleep right away, instead one could see the stupid girl giggle on her own as if she was imagining things. "Don''t get conceited, you barely managed to satisfy the two of us, you have to work harder to maintain us!" The commander wouldn''t let go of her pride even as her body squirmed and spasmed passionately for her man, living stubbornly, dying stubbornly. "Do you still want more?" He asked in disbelief. "Not for now, I want to sleep..." Fayette prepared for a long slumber and so did he while rolling his eyes, but, a hand touched her cheeks at that moment, and it wasn''t Valentine''s... "I''m afraid you won''t be able to sleep~" !!! "What the fuck!?" The three of them screamed at the same time as Valentine tried to move to grasp the knife beside the bed, but... his body wouldn''t move! "You still dare to come back her-!" Fayette yelled, now that the whore dared to show herself even now, there is no way she''s letting her go, but there is a little detail... she can''t move! "I-I can''t move..." Vera said in disbelief, this is the same thing from back then. The same thing that Lucretia Descartes did... Sasha''s red eyes shone in the darkness with her body appearing amidst a haze of black clouds, she licked her lips and appeared... naked. "I wouldn''t try anything if I was you, I won''t harm you but... watching you have your fun all this time, it''s a little unfair you know?~" "You... you concealed yourself this much!?" Vera''s eyes shivered as the bloodlust came back, had it all been a lie? Sasha concealed herself this much from her from the beginning... "Fufu~ master, are you going to reject me now? in front of them?~" Sasha ignored Vera and her eyes moved to her objective as she rounded the bed and crawled on it, moving like a slippery snake and licking her way up from his teeth, her wings spreading widely upwards in the darkness, something had changed it them, something they couldn''t pinpoint. "Get lost!" Valentine yelled and tried to move, managing to do so just slightly, but it''s the same from back then, they''re tightly locked in place. This means that Sasha is an existence equal to Lucretia! "Is that really what you want to say?~ hmn, looking at the three of you getting on for three hours, I can''t help but be a little... horny~" Her tongue moved along his body, licking every nook and cranny and intentionally evading his sleeping and slimy friend, she''d have enough of it later on. Vera and Fayette''s eyes were bloodshot, but there is nothing they can do to stop her. ''She''s a Marquise, you can''t defeat her... be cautious!'' The knife uttered in Vera''s mind, leaving her deeply awestruck, isn''t that one of the highest ranks!? "You''re a Marquise!" She immediately expressed her knowledge, surprising both of her companions as well, if she''s really in this rank, going by what Lucretia had told them, then forget about retaliating, they could perish at any moment! "Oh? that little knife must have told you, it matters not, it musn''t know my identity." ''Sasha'' giggled and kept up licking his skin... his chest, his neck, she couldn''t have enough. Her breasts brushed against his and a reaction became evident. "You''re such a beast, master, you have already enjoyed my body and theirs... yet you''re still raging, what a bad boy~" Her finger moved down to tease the ''bad boy'' producing a grunt out of Valentine and a groan from Fayette, who after listening to her rank, had already resigned, at least this woman doesn''t look like she''s harbouring any ill will, they would have perished already were that to be the case. "Sasha, who are you? w-why do you have this power!? did you lie to me from the beginning?" Vera felt betrayed, she had really considered Sasha her deep friend, they had roamed the alleyways together. "I''m not the ''Sasha'' you met... that demoness died after leaving this hotel back then, I merely plundered her identity." !!! "You what!?" "Don''t show me such a face sweety, do you think you can trust the demons? indeed, you managed to leave a good impression in her mind, but a demoness is still a demoness, she just wanted to fuck you, nothing else... after you denied her such, your paths were already starting to diverge, I only took advantage of that." Sasha kept licking Valentine''s neck and playing with the object down there are the same time, placing it between her legs and rubbing, up down, up down... "UGH!" He groaned at the sudden moisture and tightness, his entire body was locked in place by both the unmovable Fayette and Vera, never had he been placed in such a submissive situation. "Are you about to finish? so quickly?~ I won''t allow you to~" She continued rubbing their primal spots, as long as she didn''t put it in, there wouldn''t be an issue. "If you''re not her, who are you?" Vera bit her lips, that ''Sasha'' had died and there is nothing to do now, at least they need to get as much information as possible from this demoness with her rank, she''s bound to have a lot of information, and for some reason, she''s infatuated with Valentine? it doesn''t make sense, just because he''s a golden soul? "I''m afraid I can''t tell... we won''t see each other for a long time, perhaps by then you will no longer remember me, and that''s why I need to get some sort of remembrance from you before I leave, master... this is our farewell." Her flirtatious voice turned stern and somewhat melancholic. "You''re not making any sense." He glared at her, not understanding anything, why is this woman acting as if they know each other? she''s a demoness... "Get away from him! hadn''t you had enough!?" Fayette yelled this time. "I didn''t, in fact... I limited myself, don''t the three of you look cute together? thanks to whom do you think it is?~" "Not you..." "You''re too stubborn to recognise my efforts, Fayette Blanchet... anyway, I didn''t come here for you, I came for this bad boy." the demoness lay her entire weight against him and grip his cheeks between her hands. "Stop talking and kiss me~" "HMN!-" The kiss was without a doubt a lewd one, this time she didn''t limit herself, he felt slightly weak all of the sudden and a golden substance came out of his mouth, one that she sucked with glee to some extent. "Ahhh~ what a delicious soul! yes! how I wish I could just take you with me, master~ it''s as delicious as I expected it to be, just with this, coming here was worth it~" One could see how her wings spread open and her eyes shone with brilliance, emitting a big pressure that was difficult to describe as if she''s getting... stronger. The demoness had determined herself to just have a bit, but... surely a little more won''t make a difference! "At least hmn! tell me your name!" Between kisses he asked, he at least wanted to know the identity of this demoness, she''s so passionate and ravenous, he hasn''t ever met someone like that and he''s sure of it, it''s said that demons disguise themselves as humans, could they have met on earth? "If I tell you my name, you''re going to realise who I am straight away, and I can''t allow you to fall in ''his'' hands... just be a good boy and let me suck you, alright? I won''t last long and then I will leave, promise." ''The next time we see each other, I won''t be able to have you like this... we will be in completely different positions, back then I wasn''t even qualified to hold you and kiss your feet, let alone kiss you... let me be selfish for once, please... I have waited too long.'' Her lips just wouldn''t stop smooching, at some point she stopped sucking his vitality and just kissed him with passion, eventually ending it reluctantly and licking her way back down through a different trail until she arrived at his wet and erected friend. "Look at what we have here, we haven''t seen each other in a while, or not~" "UGH!" the warmth and tightness enveloped him and he grunted while the two ladies just bit on their lips and took it, they don''t understand anything of what this demoness is doing... but what can they do? "Ahhn~ d-don''t look at me with that expression you two, at least you will be able to stay with him for as long as fate keeps you together, while I have to leave... don''t be selfish and let me have my fill." Her mouth resembled a vacuum machinated for torture as Valentine''s soul got sucked like never before, his life is literally slipping away from his body. "..." *PUAG!* !!! "Ahn~ don''t worry, I won''t cause you any harm... there is no one in this hell you can trust more than me." She continued on, sucking that golden goo that remained in her lips and smiled up, moving her chest and placing it at either side of his little friend, seeking an even greater stimulation. "Oh god this is so delicious, the two of you... have to make sure to not trust any other demoness other than me... you can''t let anyone know that he''s a golden soul, it''s more important than you think." "..." "If a Demon Marques swallows a golden soul, he or she can become a Demon Earl after swallowing that soul, you have no idea how important that simple event is, likewise a Demon Count can advance to a Demon Marques by swallowing a silver soul, the three of you must conceal yourselves and trust no one, got it?" "... if you''re so concerned, why don''t you just stay with us?" "I can''t... I''m bound by contract to a demon stronger than me... me being here is already breaching the contract, I can''t remain with you for longer even if I wished to..." "Why do you talk as if you know me? did I save you when I was on the Earth or something?" "Yes... you don''t remember me, but you did save my life long ago... I''m merely repaying you, and I have sought you for so long that I can no longer recall, but my involvement with you is prohibited and just by being here, I don''t know what kind of perchance I have caused, hopefully, it won''t be too much" There was nothing the trio could say, the didn''t even understand what she''s talking about, someone as powerful as her, when could he have possibly saved her? "I have to go... remember, trust no one, use demons to your own convenience, but you''re not allowed to make bonds with any demon or demoness, if there comes a time you have to kill them, don''t think twice about doing so, and that demoness, Lucretia Descartes, more than anything beware of her, anyone that made contact with you right at the moment you entered the netherworld is the worst possible kind of threat." "I don''t get what you''re saying at all..." "You don''t need to, me leaving is because I want to keep you safe, we will see each other again, by then... you will understand everything. Until then I bid the three of you a good journey, there is something you must understand, after you came here, you won''t have a common life ever again." Sasha stood up from his body, having sated her desires enough. Suddenly an ominous wave spread through their bodies and Sasha furrowed her brows as a black flame started to cover her body. "She''s here... farewell, master...." Chapter 74 - Chaos Across The Outskirts "What kind of person did you involve yourself with, Vera?" The trio took Sasha''s words as the cue to start their departure, now that they know ''Sasha'' is gone, they can no longer stay in this pub safely, in fact, they didn''t even know how this place is supposed to work if the Sasha they have been talking to all this while, is not the owner of this pub. This uncertainty produced in them the desire to just leave this place, and while they''re at it, it is better to leave the city as well. "Do you really need to have a shower now?" He rolled his eyes with annoyance, just when he was about to wear his trousers, the two naked girls pulled him into the bathroom, and upon hearing his words, they were more than a little lost of words. "You actually dare to insinuate that we ladies must leave while filled with filth?" Vera giggled and threw his trousers far away, yes, they have to leave, but they''re not in a rush, right? "Are you going to pretend to be a graceful lady now?" He snickered only to be roughly pushed into the showroom with cold water splashing on their bodies. "For your sake, I''ll pretend I didn''t hear that." Fayette groaned and started to wash his body first, making sure to pay extra attention to the crotch, she wanted to remove that slutty demoness'' scent... "Hey... if you want to do it again, just say it." The shameless brother smirked and pushed Fayette''s body against the shower''s wall, pressing her tightly as she blushed and struggled free! While he did this, he noticed a pair of arms pull him from behind, "It''s not fair... me too" Vera pouted and went for the lips, totally contrasting Fayette''s denial. "Y-You better don''t dare to get horny, I''m tired, my waist hurts and you too Vera, stop going along with him, we don''t have much time!" She groaned, now regretting the fact that she went hard while Vera did it softly and passionate. Now she has to bear the consequences of it all. "Don''t worry, she brought me to buy some ''potions'' that supposedly work... into fixing that." Valentine reigned in his lust and started to wash Fayette''s body, they had done it long enough, and they had an eternity to carry on their pleasure, right now, the priority is to leave this city towards their next objective, anywhere they''re not being hunted. Vera pouted again and he gave her a consolation kiss, having two girlfriends is indeed troublesome. "Don''t tell me you wanted to leave like that, sweaty and filled with liquids..." Vera smirked, after Fayette''s body was cleaned, they started to clean one another while the blonde departed while drying her hair. "You''re the one that''s filled, not me~" He pulled her waist and pressed her against his chest, bitting on her chin. "D-Don''t say it like that!" Vera tried to control her furiously palpitating heart, trying to reign in the feelings that besieged her fragile soul, she felt like a lovestruck teenager, a furious prospect considering that so far, she hadn''t loved any man from the depth of her heart. A dangerous combination of factors produced a blazing infatuation. "Do you recall anything about Sasha? any idea of who she might be?" The two of them touched on this subject with Fayette listening from outside and preparing their equipment. "She had been waiting the right moment to contact us... the way she spoke and behaved with us, it is as if she has known us for a long time." The blonde''s voice resonated from outside. "I think we have been spied upon for a long time... the first time we saw her was when we just entered the alleyways, ''devouring'' that human... then I met her through the alleyways while trying to find you guys... she just said that she killed her, that woman had just been looking for the right moment, I wonder what was her objective." To Vera, it didn''t make sense... she rationalized that the Marquise demoness slaughtered Sasha just after she proposed her to come together... then she concealed her strength all the way across their journey in the alleyways, and after coming out, confessed all this and departed. Her actions didn''t make sense, could it be that she wanted to save Valentine? but if that''s the case, why not do so directly? why use her? "Are you sure you don''t recall her?" Vera asked him as they finished and dried each other''s bodies. "I''m positive, moreover... she''s a demoness, do you think I wouldn''t remember to have seen a demoness back when I was alive?" "What if humans can turn into demons somehow?" Fayette spoke again, rendering the two of them to be silent. "That''s likely to be the case, for one, I don''t have the body of a human anymore, I just don''t know what my capabilities are?" The Russian recalled that little detail back in the alleyways. How is she supposed to know what the differences are? she doesn''t feel anything odd with her body. "Right, you''re a Mahogany tree... but you look just the same." "We will study that afterwards, right now it''s better if we leave..." The two of them started to dress up, Fayette had already prepared everything. "I''ll keep using the bow, you got me good arrows... are these made by some kind of alloy?" "I don''t know... Sasha said those are the best quality-price worthy ones, they''re two thousand amethyst coins each. if you''re going to be the rear, Vera, you''re on the task of covering Fayette while I head upfront, that will be our formation." The three of them wore their cloaks and were prepared to set off. "But we checked the gates, Vale... they''re filled with Demon Soldiers and they''re checking up everyone that enters and leaves the city... I don''t think we can outrun them." Fayette added this detail, in the possible scenario that they decided to fight those demon soldiers, they would have to run out of the city, but how to outrun them? they have wings and are faster. "Something to outrun them is paramount... there are many cities in this ''circle'' aside from this one, so there must also be a transportation method, we only need to find it, we haven''t explored this city enough..." Vera asserted and they nodded in confirmation, even if it''s a method used only by demons, they only need to steal it, be it a vehicle, a horse or whatever... *BAM* ... "W-Wait, keep quiet for a moment..." Valentine heard something and a pair of bewildered ladies remained silent. *BAANG!* "Did you hear that? the ground shook a little too." "Was that an explosion...?" ** ** Within the Mahogany Devilish City, in one of the main roads where demons walked back and forth unhindered, there were too many individuals standing face to face, the demons around seemed to not pay attention to them. They were ''Sasha'' and another individual... a red-skinned beauty with a pair of big horns and wings, graceful attire with holes in the right places, her body is exquisite... silver hair flower down her back, she''s perfect. Her eyes shone with a purple light of wrath. Sasha furrowed her brows, it is this demoness... she doesn''t know who she is, but she has been sending mental messages to her. Odd messages. "You had the audacity..." The breathtaking demoness raised her expression in contempt. "..." Sasha grasped ''nothing'' and prepared for anything, this demoness is giving off quite the eerie aura, she''s quite pissed if she wished she might be able to stay with her master for another day, but thanks to this slut, that won''t be the case... mental messages are ability that only Demon Counts and above posses, which means that this woman is not a pushover even if she''s not a difficult opponent either. "I don''t know what you''re talking about, speak clearly or get lost." "Valentine Wagner, Fayette Blanchet and Vera Sidorov~" !!! Those words immediately produced a frown in Sasha''s visage, this demoness can''t be allowed to live, immediately a name flashed in her head, the same demoness that Vera had mentioned, but it can''t be... this woman is a red-skinned demoness, whereas the one mentioned by Vera had dark skin and the description of their attires is different too, this is a royal demoness that''s clearly not from this circle. "You had the audacity to take a wisp of his soul, merely a small bit, but that''s enough to warrant my wrath." "Are you Lucretia Descartes?" She still asked, perhaps the demoness is concealing her identity, but this primal lust coming from her... she also has red skin, it shouldn''t be the case. Before engaging in a possible fight with an enemy she knew nothing of, Sasha intended to get to know as much as possible from her. "That''s not something someone that''s already dead should know~" "You''re too conceited, do you think that no one in this world can defeat you? are you sure you''re not from the pride circle?" "How about we stop with the chit chat and get to the part where I walk on top of your filthy corpse!" The demoness extended her hand, and from there, a sinful blade protruded with reddish haze, the world stopped and the demons around felt as if their necks were going to be sliced open! *RUMBLE!!!!* The world shook with unprecedented pressure signifying the presence of a supernatural being. !!!!!! ''I-Impossible!'' Sasha felt as if a mountain had fallen on her shoulders and gaped because what she was feeling is just ridiculous! ''A DEMON DUCHESS!?'' Chapter 75 - Marquise Vs Duchess Jezebel''s cold sweat dripped from her forehead, but even then, she''s the one that''s faring the best! *BAANGG!!* Dozens of demons and the scarce humans fell face flat against the ground, so much so that several limbs broke. "Who allows you to touch my belongings, puppet of Baal?" The demoness growled and a crimson giant axe manifested in her hands with corrupted might in a wisp of red flames, Jezebel grunted, she doesn''t know this woman or her weapon. ''Just who is this woman?!'' "He doesn''t belong to you!" That didn''t matter now, right now what she wants is to crush her will, she knows about her master, duchess or not, she can''t be allowed to live, the problem is, defeating her will be difficult and she needs to take her away from here too, they''re not too far from the trio''s location. *RUMBLE!!!* A torrent of black flames flashed through her body, having the demoness gape at the sight of them. !!! *WOOSH!!!* Within a mere second, two eyes, purple and red met one another with a vengeance that cared not for the lives of the demons present. Jezebel''s flame imbued broadsword crashed against the crimson flamed axe and an explosion that could only be considered cataclysmic took place! *BOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!----------- Torrents of flames filled the lands and cascaded across the demon-filled canals, burning everything in their way, the crimson flame was bloody, anything it touched would combust and explode into a bloody mess, while the black flame erased everything to nothingness, bringing true death. ... Shortly two minutes after a second exchange in which Jezebel had to retreat, the two demonesses regarded one another, this time the royal beauty in crimson flames had an expression of disbelief. "The blessing of Azrael, it''s you, Jezebel..." She readied her axe, knowing that this wouldn''t be an easy fight even if she''s one step ahead, that blessing is just that troublesome, a simple touch could produce heavy losses to her. "Duchess... what are you doing in this circle...?" Jezebel also had a grim expression, of all people it had to be ''her''... let alone how troublesome it is to fight her, just the fact that she''s voyaging through this circle is already bad news, whenever she goes, chaos is sure to ensue, there is no one more troublesome that could have set her gaze on her master. "For what reason must you touch others'' belongings?" The ''Duchess'' ignored that question and glared daggers at Jezebel, the blessing of Azrael or not, she still doesn''t have the right to touch her belongings. "He doesn''t belong to you! I''m warning you, back off... even if I have to go against Baal and Asmodeous and die in the process... if you try anything with him, I''ll slaughter you." She threatened and readied her sword, the moment she decided to do that, her death was assured, but she doesn''t care... as long as he''s safe. "Heavy words from a mere Marquise, with that punny strength you dare to threaten me? even when you''re already aware of my identity?~" "I don''t even need to defeat you, telling ''him'' that you are here should suffice." "Hehe~ That means that you can''t live longer, Jezebel~" The demoness bit on her finger lustily as the corpses of hundreds of demons burned with the flames, the building bricks burned and the soil scorched, but at the same time... it regenerated, such is this cursed city. "Are you intending to cause disruption in Baal''s territory?" Jezebel bit her lips, in truth, she doesn''t want this fight, the odds of her loss are bigger even with the blessing of Azrael, a flame capable of causing true death. "Do you think I''m afraid of him? you''re his favourite puppet... I won''t kill you, but I can torture you for a few hundred years~ I''m sure he won''t mind, it''s me we''re talking about, no one doesn''t allow me to have my way." The demoness started to walk forward, tired of talking and prepared for another bout. "You don''t understand, I have already marked him, his soul belongs to me and to actually dare to take even but a small wisp of it, I''m afraid you and I are irreconcilable..." *WOOSHH!!* Two flames burned once again as they prepared to clash, but at that moment a third fiery orange flame covered the vast skies. "Your Majesty, I''m afraid I can''t stand by while you two do battle within my domain." A man presented himself on the battlefield wearing armour and covered in flames with a black flaming gigantic halberd, and the two of them recognised this demon. "Warcroft..." "Lady Jezebel, I beg you to have a face and leave my poor city aside from this conflict, as you know, we''re in the anti-violence faction..." The demon''s voice is polite but his countenance contains battle intent as if he''s ready to crash his gigantic axe against her pretty face at any moment. Her body is still that of Sasha, but there is only a demoness in the entire netherworld that has had the blessing of Azrael for more than a hundred thousand years. Jezebel, the Manager of Baal''s Grief Castle. "... you should know that whether one wants to respect this amendment is subjective to the demon in question" Jezebel smirked, no one had the gals to impose rules on her in this circle, but Warcroft is not any demon. "I understand, were you not to accept my politeness, I''m afraid we will have to do battle." He brandished his imposing halberd, ready for whatever decision they decided to take. "..." "..." The pair of demoness regarded one another with threat, this is indeed not the best place to fight and it is most convenient for Jezebel to take this Duchess away from here. "Very well, I''ll give you some face and pull this wench into a more appropriate battlefield!" "Conceited!" *WOOOSHHH!!!* They flapped their wings and burst in their respective flames, flying away from this city and taking a few tons of worries from Warcroft''s shoulders. ''Just what the hell is going on? two Duchesses and a Marquise... first it was that dark-skinned demoness, and now this woman...'' He clenched his hand, regretting that he didn''t take that golden soul when he had the chance. ''You''re not allowed to take Valentine Wagner''s soul in any way... I want you to make things difficult for him, to test him up~ but if you dare to take his soul, I''ll take your filthy core, Warcroft... don''t test me.'' Those were that demoness, Lucretia Descartes'' words. And the power these two beauties displayed is not something he can fight withou consequences, Jezebel with her blessing of Azrael and Baal is different, she''s stronger than him, but he doesn''t have anything like that, he''s a demon that crawled through the ranks with cheer might and resolution, born a Demon Soldier. He sighed, at least they''re away from his city now. ... "My lord..." A cusp of green flames formed beside him, it''s Sandmortelle who got shocked by the commotion, small wisps of crimson and black flames still burned, that sense of death permeating from the black one was unquestionable, as for the red one, he doesn''t know, but he doesn''t dare to touch it either. "Those were a duchess and a Marquise..." He uttered with a grim expression, it is already odd enough to see one, let alone witness a fight... usually, demoness wouldn''t dare fight someone in a rank higher than them, it''s a sure death battle, but Lady Jezebel is famous since her strength is almost reaching the realm of Duchess even without being one, most are afraid of what would be of her once she stepped into the Demon Duchess boundary and hence she''s bound to remain within the premises of Baal''s Castle and manage it, never to come out... Were Lord Baal to know about this he''d be enraged and would rain ashes on the wrath circle, Jezebel is his strongest general... thankfully, they all know he''s not in the Netherworld right now. "Yes, I don''t know the identity of that duchess, she''s likely from the circle of lust... but the other one is Lady Jezebel, she must have entered this city inadvertently" Warcroft commented. "They were fighting, impressive, so this is the power of a duchess and a Marquise... should we leave them be? this is a fight where a treasure is likely to be found in the midst." His green eyes shone with greed and the Marques sighed. "As expected of a demon of greed, you''re reckless, Sadmortelle..." "..." "This is not a battle we can meddle on, and it is not our concern either... having them depart the city is the best result possible... Lady Jezebel is not someone we have the leisure to contend with." "I see, what should we do? is it involved with silver soul? can a silver soul even have a duchess involve herself personally?" The last time he saw a Duke or Duchess personally had been more than a few millenniums ago and it wasn''t even in this city. "I''m afraid it does... the chances of obtaining it have slipped past my hands like blood through my fingers, but... something else can be done." Warcroft''s golden slitted eyes shone, there is still a way he can keep track of this Valentine Wagner, as for what he would do after that, who knows? "I want you to keep the demon soldiers guarding the gates, but don''t proactively hunt him... he''s in the city right now and departed the alleyways, that much is clear... Unfortunately, he has a backer we can''t afford to anger." He flew away from this barren corner of the city, the blood would surely dry, the flames cease to burn and the buildings restore themselves into a ceaseless curse that plunders souls on a daily basis. And everything would be back to normal, once more.... such is the curse of the myriad nethers. Chapter 76 - The Mutated Mounts "Those demons are still rooter in their spot but the explosions stopped." "Umn" The trio had already departed their room, dressed and ready, regarding everything that happened around them, the demons were seemingly fixed with their gazes towards one spot as if they had seen a ghost. What they saw were two suns, a red one and a black one, and they might as well have seen ghosts, the ghosts of their souls seeping away from their bodies like a broken dam. "Hey, you!" Vera started to execute the plan, the first part is to reach a transportation centre, they accorded she''d be the one to talk to Andrea the demoness as the latter is scared shitless of her, apparently. "Oh, it''s you..." Indeed, the demoness approached with a tray in her hand, she regarded Vera with fear, to her this is a protector and one that''s especially fond of slaughtering demons and swallowing their cores, a devil. "Do you want to take this pub? Sasha is gone and she ''left it'' in my hands." she made that up, but now that Sasha is not here, the pub is ownerless until someone else takes it over, why not Andrea? !!! The demoness'' eyes shone and her voluptuous body shook slightly with wickedness, this is a huge improvement, still, stupid she''s not... "You murdered her?" She had to make sure that everything was concordant. "I slaughtered that whore and swallowed her core, and I''ll swallow yours too if you don''t tell me where I can find the transportation centre... if you be a good little demoness, I''ll leave this pub in your hands." Vera sounded like a psycho, and having that big ass knife in her hand helped a lot. Immediately the red-skinned demoness went white and Valentine together with Fayette suppressed their laughter, well, this is their first time scamming a demon, and it feels nice. "T-Transportation centre? what are you talking about? do you mean the bear barn?" their terminology is a little weird, but she assumes that''s because they''re from another city or circle. "What? y-yes, that! where is the bear barn of this city!?" The trio regarded one another, the fuck? bears? "If I tell you, will you allow me to take over this pub?" The demoness asked the last prominent question "You can do whatever you want with it, but you have to lead us to this barn." Vera knew better than to just know the direction of the place, she''d likely send them to some hellhole with demons ready to plunder their lives. The demoness twitched her lips in annoyance, it seems that was really her plan. "You have a deal! Let me finish my period and then I will take you there, you can''t back off now, also... in order for me to inherit this pub, you need to help me kill the other demoness that''s stronger than me!" "So be it." ... Sadly, a purple-skinned relatively ''young'' demoness had to perish that day, as if in remembrance of Sasha, Valentine killed her painlessly and they were led by a happy Andrea through the still shaken city. "What kind of mounts do you have in this city?" He asked, hoping they were some kind of horses, mares, donkeys, for god''s sake, even in a pony they could escape. "We have the Callisto Bears~" That''s definitely not in the previous list. ''Callisto, seriously?'' Vera didn''t understand the innuendo but Valentine and Fayette did... he wondered what kind of bears were those. "What else?" Vera asked hopefully. "Oh? if you''re a little brave then you can have a Rhino." The demoness answered as if she just uttered the most common thing in the world. "V-Vale..." Even Fayette, this woman that feared nothing, shivered... she has never ridden a bear... in fact, she doesn''t want to, let alone she''s sure the bear they''re going to find won''t be a cute panda or a relatively friendly grisly bear that will leave you alone if you pretend to be dead. ... *BAAANGGG!!!* *GROWAAAAALLLLL!!!* ''There is no way we can mount this!'' The ''bear'' smashed harshly against the cell it was in, denting it and spewing lava towards them. "..." the shivering trio moved away from this creature, especially Vera... she felt threatened when regarding that magma, now that she''s a tree, fire is her worst enemy. The bear regarded them with a threatening gaze, its skin looked as if it was composed of magma and scalding rocks, it looked amazing but also threatening, it had a size twice as big as a normal bear. "This is a Callisto volcanic bear... very odd but since you''re a protector, taming it shouldn''t be difficult for you." Andrea stood by the demon seller who seemed to be smoking something. "If you want this one, it will be 100.000 amethyst coins, it is a thousand years old, still a youngling, I''d be taking it out of my hands, no one has bought him yet... 100.000 coins and it''s yours, of course, you have to tame it before taking it." The man saw an opportunity, he got this bear quite young but no one has bought it yet, it''s getting troublesome to hold him as it simply eats too many humans a day, more than he can get from a city that''s no-violence. "What else do you have?" Valentine gulped, needed to ask! "A common Callisto bear will cost you 300.000 coins, here..." *BAAANGGGG!!!* "..." This one crashed harder against the cell compared to the other, but at least it didn''t spew magma, its body seemed to be composed of plants and roots rather than magma, upon regarding Vera, it went quiet. "This one is roughly ten thousand years old, we got her two hundred years ago, all of her cubs are sold, but she isn''t... as you can see, she''s missing an eye, as you''re a poor bastard without money, I''ll give her to you for 250.000, I''ll discount 50.000, that''s the best I can do." Upon hearing the story, Vera felt sad and approached the bear, only to be stopped by Fayette who shook her head repeatedly. Vera still regarded the bear that seemed to have grown quiet. "I''ll get this one, and also... I will take the other bear from you for 50.000" Valentine took out the money and pretended to bargain his way for the magma bear as he decided to call it. ''Pay 100.000 only to fight this beast that you want to desperately get rid of? fat chance...'' "Too low." The seller groaned, as expected of a protector, he''s not that naive. "Why not? do you think anyone is going to take this bear from you? you''re just spending more money into keeping it here and hope to recover some of it, I''m afraid it''s not worth that much, mate." Valentine mustered all of his roguish tongues and even made the demon doubt his own existence. "... if you can tame it, I''ll give it to you for 70.000 coins." ''That''s the best you can offer?!'' Well, it''s a couple of meals more... "Deal." He sighed while Andrea rejoiced in the background, this means that the pub is hers! ''It can''t be worse than Bellcroft.'' Fayette told Vera that she would fight as the latter is likely to lose control and swallow the entire bear... she doesn''t doubt that Vera can defeat that bear or any of them for that matter, the issue is ridding it, it must be hella uncomfortable. "Then I''ll have my men move the cell to the small arena, you can tame them there and I''ll give you the collars." He clicked his fingers and the men around got to work, Andre decided to stay to look at the show before going back to HER pub, she giggled at the thought. "How does it work?" Valentine wondered about those collars and took his knives, preparing for a fight. "A collar is a bloody curse, it will keep the creature docile to you but before doing that you have to tame it and make it quiet." The man tilted his head, this is something he should know... "I see..." Valentine was awed, where exactly do these beasts come from? could they be like the mahogany tree... they''re born in the netherworld? He wanted to get that bear, more than mounting, to assist him in dealing with tougher enemies, knowing Sasha, Lucretia and the power they had... the demon soldiers, Valentine realised that to live peacefully, they had to become stronger, but what mechanism do they have to get stronger? Turn into demons? get miraculous encounters like Vera''s? They needed to leave this city, that''s the only thing he knows. ... The trio had to wait for a while in the rather small arena covered by a tent, there, the two cells were moved by a bunch of demons that had to put their lives in the line to move those bears. "Once the magma big boy is released, you will have to succeed... it''s too difficult to restrain him, which one do you want to release first?" A difficult question. "Release the ''common'' bear first." Fayette nodded towards Valentine and readied her knife, putting her bag away, she''s ready to face this bear! Chapter 77 - Blazing Torrents A Storm racked across the barren lands of the netherworld, the wake of a disaster. Gargantuan hurricanes encompassed red devilish flames and black extinguishing flames in this region, far away from the city, creatures roamed the land and either perished or ran this relentless onslaught of flames. Two figures crashed into one another heavily, producing shocks that travelled through the vast lands. A halberd against a broadsword, two demonesses. Jezebel''s purple skin peeled to give way to a caucasian beauty with clear eyes, two big red pointy horns and two devilish wings, her entire attire changed into one that represented her regal self, but by now, her countenance had thoroughly changed. It is clearer than ever, that she resembles a human with horns and wings, her black flames protectively encroached her seductive body, but even then, the crimson flame relentlessly burnt her bypassing her flames slightly. She''s now certain of her inability to bring defeat upon the Duchess but the latter also can''t prevent her from escaping if she wishes. The two of them have clashed, but her flames hadn''t reached her even once, she''s too fast and nimble, whereas her battered skin showed that she had been burned more than once with her limbs exploding repeatedly. She considered fleeing, but what about this demoness, what would she do to her master? "What are your intentions with him?" Jezebel inquired and caught a breath when the two of them landed heavily on the krater they had conceived. "You''re giving up?~" The red-skinned demoness noted her counterpart''s intentions of negotiating, she planted her halberd on the ground creating an expanse of red flames and asked with a clear mock. "..." Jezebel grit her teeth harshly and eventually the demoness shrugged amusingly. "I don''t have any ill intentions with him, in fact, I''m his supporter~" "Then-" Those were good news for her even if just slightly, but the duchess'' amused visage changed and turned into sternness and poison. "But... that doesn''t change the fact that I must punish you for what you have done, my things no one should touch." ''I can''t trust her words... but there is nothing I can do either, those three hadn''t met her which means that she doesn''t intend to involve herself directly.'' Jezebel''s rage welled up. "You''re going to keep saying that... how do you even know him!?" That possessiveness in her tonality, pissed her off so much, even if she''s a duchess, she''s not qualified to claim him! ''Sorry, Master... I''m not strong enough to protect your honour...'' She "That''s not something you need to know, I could be asking you the same question... wait a moment... t-that''s impossible." The Duchess gaped as possibilities ran over her head "..." Jezebel knew she had to shut her up for good! "I want to kill you just as much!" She flashed and flapped her wings, readying her broadsword. "Then let''s slaughter each other! as I expected, we''re both sinning women!" The Duchess rejoiced, for millions of years, her ''hunch'' hadn''t been wrong! *BAAANGGG!!* ** ** "W-What is going on?" The demon dropped whatever he was smoking utterly awestruck, he''s the one that mercilessly intended to scam those ''protectors'' Andrea had brought. But so far things aren''t going according to his plan. The moment the bear was released from its cell, Fayette prepared to face it, and the bear ran towards them! But then it stopped in front of Vera and started to lick the girl''s face. "Eh?" The vendor only mirrored Valentine, Fayette and the demoness Andrea''s reaction, what is this? The demons were obviously more astounded, these are violent creatures that even common demons fear, why is this unfurry thingy so... cute? "I think it likes me." Vera smiled softly and held the bear''s head, she also felt comfortable with this bear, it''s as if SHE is a combination between a bear and a tree... several branches released from her body. ''Maybe because she''s a tree now?'' the pair deduced, not very knowledgable with all these fantastic boundaries, but... one plus one is two, right? logic is telling them so. "Unbelievable..." "Do you want to put the collar in it?" The demon held the collar and asked with disbelief, perhaps it doesn''t even need a collar. "IT''S SHE! and no, I don''t want her to have any collar, you will hear my words, right~?" Vera asked the bear who only proceeded to crash her head softly against her belly as if reassured. Perhaps reassured that her new owner is this person rather than anyone else. "Stop stop!" Vera giggled slanting a smile out of her two companions, guess with this they have their transportation and a companion, although Valentine had his apprehensions regarding leaving it collarless, he decided to do as Vera said in the end, she has her sense, might as well give it a chance... but... His gaze moved to the other unfriendly bear, there is no way this one is hanging around with them without a collar, its mere look would petrify anyone as the magma spewed from its mouth and even now Valentine didn''t know if he could defeat it, but truth be told, it looks weaker than a Demon Soldier. He based all of his encounters with Bellcroft as the standard, until he met anyone or anything stronger. "You''re not going to treat me like that, will you?"He snickered and prepared his knives, he knew the answer even if the creature couldn''t talk. *GROWWWWLLLLL!!* *BAAANGG!!* It''s a NO. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Fayette''s lips quivered, she''s worried, a part of him wanted Valentine to get beaten as repayment from before, but against this bear... he wouldn''t get beaten, he''d get destroyed. "Do I have a choice?" The man moved his arm back and forth, stretching, this wouldn''t be an easy fight. "We could just use Vera''s bear... you don''t need to get this one too." She tried to advise him once more from this madness, the man just said that if things went out of control they could hardly contain the bear. This is likely the reason why no one has bought it, the man just decided to trust Vera in the ''protectors'' argument given by Andrea, he believed they could make this Callisto magma bear submit. "But we won''t get a chance like this again, Faye. The fact that we have a collar reassures me as well." "Can''t we make it submit between the two of us?" She sighed and gave him the last option, but the bastard is stubborn. "Let me try first, I want to test myself against this bear." He laughed at her intent of having him back off. "Men... just say that from the beginning." ... "Are you ready? once it is released, you''re on your own..." The man asked just to confirm, if the bear went berserk they could still lock it within this arena, but then... they''d lose the arena until a demon soldier came to put it back in the cell and who knows how much money that would cost, he''s trusting this brat will manage, so far he''s been surprised by Vera''s prowess. There is no way a Callisto bear will like a common human, hence, he believes that bear somehow sensed an unparalleled threat from the girl from afar and therefore, submitted. His fear against Vera was at an all-time high and his subordinates didn''t dare do so much as to step in front of her. "Do it!" Valentine gripped his daggers harshly and his foot steadied on the sand. The demons opened the lock of the gate and ran away like a headless chicken away from this magma bear. *BAAANGG!!* *GRROWWWLLL!!!* The little bear didn''t need an invitation, it immediately blasted through the gates with a crescendo while Fayette, Vera and her bear moved away from the high-likely onslaught. But the magma bear didn''t place the ''weakling'' Valentine in its eyes... he instead regarded the other bear and growled, getting an immediate response as Vera had to restrain her bear from charging forward, this ''lady'' doesn''t know fear. "HEY! YOUR OPPONENT IS ME!" Did this little pussy just ignore him!? An outraged bringer of euthanasia ran, knife in hand slide down, evading the bear''s slow swipe. *BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMm!!!!--------- !!! The audience gaped in wonder when the seemingly slow paw of the bear destroyed a big region of the ground behind him. Valentine was too focused to even pay attention to the result of the paw that would have surely obliterated his life. *SLASH!* He tried to horntail first and as expected, it didn''t do shit, thankfully, it didn''t break either, the entire hit felt as if he had hit a metal plate. He came out through the other side after getting a good sight of the bear and grinning in annoyance, his next step was to utilize the global weakness males have, their nuts, but... turns out this bear doesn''t have nuts! ''What else can I do?'' He slashed the back of the bear that was in the process of turning around, this time with the ruby knife and evaded the round swipe that the bear executed. ''The horntail doesn''t go through its skin, but the ruby knife does... still, are you for real? lava is its blood?!'' Valentine smirked at the groans of the beast, this knife worked... but just briefly, this battle is a deadlock, the bear is too slow to damage him but he also doesn''t have the strength to produce substantial damage to it, have it submit? easier said than done, but he has a plan. *WOOOSH!!* The bear wouldn''t just stop, now that this pathetic human wounded it, it''s more than determined to cause slaughter. *BAANGG!!* *SLASH!!* Vera was a little hectic as the entire battle took place, she saw how a single one of those strikes could literally obliterate them and even the other bear behind her got a little frightful. "Don''t worry, He''s got it." Fayette waved her hand in measurement, but the woman had been worried a second ago when she saw that cloud of dust and the smoke from the magma, but... once again Valentine looks relaxed. "Really?" Andrea asked from the back with concern and as a response, felt two piercing gazes more threatening than the bear itself hit her full force... "Don''t even think about it..." "..." ... *WHOOSH!!* "Ufff... that was close." He cleaned the sweat from his forehead, now the bear is filled with wounds but he doesn''t intend to carry on with this method, they need the bears to be optional right away as they''re going to be leaving this city, he can''t just crawl up to its head and take an eye... After a few more slashes, he accomplished his objective and the bear was about to stand up in its two feet intending to crash down heavily with its two frontal paws and crush Valentine. "Throw me the collar, now!" "Here!" Vera threw hers in his direction and he caught it up just as the bear stood up in its too feet and growled with magma flowing through its rough skin. He ran towards it and slashed forth one of the legs!! *GROWLL!!* After doing so, he retreated and pushed forward with white flames in his eyes and all the strength he could muster! "HAAAAA!!!!" *BAAAAAANGGGGGG!!!!* *GROAALL!!* Having lots its balance and with a wounded leg, the bear fell on its back heavily, falling atop the magma that flowed through its wounds, pained. Valentine took this chance and crawled on top of it, with the bear stunned, he placed the collar around its neck but just as he did so, he felt the collar draw a thorn and pinch his hand lightly.. !!! As if a bloody contract was formed a shadow haze filled it for a moment and then, nothing... The bear calmed down and he too fell tired, jumping away from it as the magma around it increased. "Ufff... from fighting terrorists to fighting magma bears." He sighed and slumped on his back, utterly tired and hot, that damned bear is just too hot, he wondered if will even be able to sit on its back and ride it. *GROWL* As Vera and Fayette approached, they stopped when they saw the magma bear struggle on its four feet and walk slowly towards Valentine, immediately Fayette wanted to do something but Vera stopped her, having her recall the collar. As expected, the bear just slumped down beside Valentine and stayed quiet in there, as if it was just laying low beside its new master, the shiny lava started to gain a milder tonality... ''It''s sleeping!?'' "Hey! You can''t sleep now, we have to go!" "..." The bear groaned slightly and didn''t do as its master said... instead, it got into a more comfortable position, took Valentine with its paws and pressed him against its skin! ''What the hell!?'' He felt the warm skin of the bear not as rugged as before as if the magma had receded but still, what the hell!? "I think it likes you!" The three girls approached with the demoness showing a fearful expression even though the battle had already finished as if she just witnessed the devil up-front, quite ironic considering she''s a demoness. "Oh, really? If you don''t tell me, I won''t notice..." Valentine groaned as the bear snored with glittery colours, this damned beast is clearly asleep... "Feel not aggrieved, for another lady has entered your life~" Vera followed along with her joke and patted the now calmed bear that was visually regenerating its wounds, the contrast between the two is simply ridiculous. "Ha?" He doesn''t know what she''s talking about. "It''s a female, not a male... it doesn''t have balls remember?" Fayette pointed at HER with an annoyed expression, this bastard is so lucky that it pisses her off. "So that''s where you were looking all along..." He smirked and evaded a slap that was coming towards his head, the beauty lunged at him with irritation. "Damn you, I''m serious, it''s a female I know it!" "But you said it''s a male?" Valentine addressed the coming vendor who regarded him with pure fear, to think that a protector managed to conquer this beast. "This thing was dangerous even when it was small, do you think I''m a big enough fetishist to risk my life just to look at its balls?! we just assumed it is male!" He yelled with his subordinates nodding repeatedly. *Sigh* "Yeah yeah, I don''t know if it''s male or female but it doesn''t matter, I hope is male though, I already got enough psychopaths in here..." "Care to repeat that?" "No, I wouldn''t dare repeat it~" "Say that again! I dare you!" Chapter 78 - The Chase I The three of them didn''t leave the establishment yet. With jealousy, both girls also snuggled against the other sleeping beard that by now adopted the name of ''Teddi''. The bear wasn''t concerned or knowledgeable enough in the arts of language to spit blood at her new name, she just snuggled against Vera comfortably and let the humans do their human things. Vera and Fayette had a big argument about the name, the former wanted to address the bear as ''Teddi'' but Fayette wanted to name her ''Nou'', meanwhile Valentine lay against his own, thinking of naming her ''Destroyer'' or ''Murderer''. He was never good at names. Sadly, he wasn''t allowed to go with that as both girls literally threw themselves at him after Fayette lost the competition for the bear''s affection, ultimately Teddi still choose Vera. Now, he lay together with ''Miki'' snuggled in her warm volcanic-like body as the bear slept, actually... not snuggled, locked. "So? What''s the plan now?" The girls caressed their cute-looking callisto bear and asked about their next "The plan now is to sneak our way through that gate like little weasels..." That''s the most difficult part of the plan, according to their intel, there are at least five demon soldiers... he didn''t expect that there were so many, it made him wonder how rare are Demon Soldiers exactly and whether "Like this? we''re anything but ''little''." She pointed at the two giant bears that would be perceived the moment they left this arena, the moment they leave this establishment, attention is going to be against them across the departure endeavour. They can only leave once the plan is clear. "You get me." "And then?" "Run... run and get wherever we reach first, slaughtering anything ahead for friendship exists no longer past those gates." "Sounds poetic." Vera giggled, she knows she''s gonna devour every core she finds in the way. "But truthful." ** ** It''s time to leave and the first thing is to make sure that there won''t be an issue taking the bears. "Y-Yes, you can definitely take them." The scared vendor was together with Andrea somewhere else. "I take it my responsibility with you is done, right? a deal is a deal and the pub is mine~" Andrea approached Valentine and even focused at only him as if the other two girls didn''t exist, there were literal hearts in her eyes. Two piercing gazes immediately punctured her seductive face, but demonesses are shameless. "Yours it is." He said and didn''t pay much attention to her, she did as they requested, this is an equal exchange. What he wasn''t expecting tough was that the demoness would take his palm and kiss the back of it! "If you ever want some other service, please come to me first! I''ll do my best and it will be for free, you don''t even need to give me any wisp of your soul, okay?~" The red-skinned beauty moved her blouse a little and flashed him a nipple with a wink! So long as she can get to be this strong protector''s little bitch, what pub!? she can have anything she wants! "GET OUTTA HERE!" Two wild cats lunged at her and the girl had to reluctantly release her new crush''s hand to run for her life. "HYAAA!!" ** ** The two ladies came back to find Valentine with the two mounts placing them on top of the bears. They were sad that the head of that demoness was not in their hands, that bitch knows how to run. "You two are exaggerating, she just took my hand..." He snickered inwardly and ignored their bloodied gazes. "Shut up! I''m about to throw boiling water to that face of yours!" Fayette threatened, there is no doubt the demons are lustful whether it is males or females, but why are those demonesses so brazen with him?! ''It''s as if we don''t exist!'' they get thoroughly ignored each time... "Then you have to throw some on yours as well, you think I have not seen how those demons look at you!?" He threatened back with poison, she attracted gazes wherever she went and it wasn''t only her, Vera too, the difference is that a gaze from him was enough to deter any ''stupidity''. ''You get close, you''re fucking dead.'' That''s what his gaze said each time, but this isn''t something the girls have noticed. "They''re not offering US sex!" "She didn''t offer me sex... she offered her services..." He continued to deliberately piss her off, Fayette''s jealousy is amusing... until she takes a knife to cut your dick, even Vera laughed as she knows he is just playing around. "..." Boiling point. "Yeah yeah, don''t worry, I only have eyes for two people..." He had to embrace the two of them before Fayette brandished her knives, it''s clear she still isn''t over his ''infidelity''... he will have to work hard to get things back to how they were, even if she''s the jealous type, she''s never this possessive. "I know, don''t worry Vale, I trust you~" ''You''re too naive Vera...'' Fayette sighed and released her clenched hands, she knows she''s still holding a grudge, more from Sasha''s last ''service'' than the lovemaking session with Vera included. Maybe she''s still angry that she was too powerless to do anything except for watch... "See? I got these mounts for free, the vendor was too scared of me to even argue, wanna try?" He pulled both of them to the awaiting bears and when they nodded, he lifted them up to try and feel how a ''ride'' would be. "Try riding them around this arena to get comfortable." "Okay..." sighing a heated breath to release her stress, Fayette did as he said and tried to get used to riding Miki, as if aware of Valentine''s intentions, the bear did as asked and started to walk around the arena with Fayette on top, she guided her with a reign. "It''s... easy?" Vera said, doing the same, with this comfy mount, it wasn''t as uncomfortable as she expected, although definitely different than a horse. "It''s because we''re going slow... once they start to run, it will be more hectic." "We don''t have the place to test it, let''s take these out and head to the southern gate..." Valentine got on top of Miki and the three of them started to make their way out, attracting gazes through the entire slow journey, they were the only ones that had such mounts. Adding the cloaks that barely concealed their faces, the bags and weapons... they seemed like members of the Elite. The Demon Soldiers that worked as guards of the city only gave the three of them a brief glance before leaving... Vera made sure to conceal her knife, they could be recognised because of it. Still, even Demon Soldiers know they shouldn''t mess with protectors until necessary. ... Once they reached a relatively safe distance from the gate, the plan began and he sighed, there are five Demon Soldiers with heavy armours and on top of that a little more than ten common demons... none of the bulky ones looks weaker than Bellcroft. "I''ll head first and then make a distraction with my girl here, once you see the gate is clear, chase and support engaging from their backs, our objective is not to kill all of them, the objective is to survive and escape." He said with determination, it won''t be easy but they need to get away from this city, he could feel several gazes on him as if someone had already realised their identity. Better to fight five demon soldiers than twenty. "Why is your plan always to risk your life?" Fayette'' rubbed her forehead in exasperation, he''s always the bait. "It''s the most efficient way to do it, if we all head there at the same time, we risk that their battle power will be higher than our joint forces... at least like this, you two can engage from the back while they follow me. It''s how I rock and roll~" He tried to reassure them, this is the way he does things, attacking head-on, Rose used to get worried whenever she was at the other side of the intercom, and ultimately, he died because of it... but it''s worth it. "I never liked rock and roll." Fayette groaned and got down from Miki towards Teddi, she readied her arrows, best case scenario is that these arrows will go through a demon soldier''s tough skin, surprisingly, they''re of the best around, she''s sad that after firing them, she likely won''t be able to recover them as they''re moving. "What is rock and roll?" Naturally, Vera is too ''old'' to know of these things. "..." "We have to teach her a few things." With all the plans laid, Valentine took a deep breath and started to move forward, but it was then that someone spoke all too suddenly! "Hey my friend~ it''s been a long time isn''t it?" !!! "Y-You are..." It''s the vagrant from back then, and he is together with someone. "You are that bastard from before!" Chapter 79 - The Chase II Valentine, Fayette and Vera, couldn''t believe the weight of balls this man has to show himself in front of them as if nothing happened prior. He''s the first person that scammed them in this city, it wasn''t much... but it served to thoroughly trash their confidence in anyone to an extent, then Lucretia destroyed that wall. If anything they could show their appreciation to him for exhibiting the authentic nature of hell, a shithole where you can''t believe your own shadow. The vagrant that hunched forward regarded the two growling bears with interest, sensing their master''s intentions, they would have torn this bastard apart were they not to be restraint. "I can''t help but think since the last time we met... you have... upgraded" He grinned while holding the hand of a cloaked lady. "..." They didn''t pay attention to her, they just wanted to know what he wants, even if they wanted to kill him, it''s not possible in the middle of the damn street and he knows. "You''re doing better, and I can literally smell your desire to leave this city..." The man concluded with a light smile, surprisingly, despite all the dirt, there are no missing teeth. That''s some fake-vagrant for you. "Bastard, and I can also smell your rotting corpse already, how about we go to the alleyways?~" Valentine grinned and showed his knife only for the vagrant to release a brief laugh even as the lady behind him seemed to shiver. Fayette was also looking forward to killing someone after the last scene. "There is no need to get violent, friend... how have I aggrieved you?!" He''d be the stupidest man in the world if he were to follow someone with a callisto bear inside the alleyways, Valentine or not. "Scamming us at a start point, leaving the bill for us to pay as the second..." He growled. "Please, I beg you would reconsider, we''re not bad people." The lady behind the vagrant finally spoke, they could see their visage slightly, she''s a woman in her late twenties, blonde hair almost white and an expression that looked slightly dirty due to the lack of a good shower. "That''s not something you should say in hell." Fayette and Vera deadpanned, good people, for real? "Say what you want and get lost" Valentine groaned in annoyance, this fool is delaying them. ... "We want to leave this city... and for the looks of it, so do you... teaming out to accomplish this task, what say you?!" The man suggested with a crescendo as if he''s sharing the price of a lottery ticket. "You don''t look very strong and we''re facing Demon Soldiers, moreover... trust a human? I''d rather trust my balls" "Anyone would, but there is no ''trust'' in here... do you know where to go next after departing the city?~" The vagrant played his cards, and he played well. "..." The trio was left momentarily speechless. ''Dammit.'' "As I expected, you may fool all of those ignorants into believing you''re a protector with strength, but I''m aware of your origins, not more than a month ago I scammed you good~" He laughed as if an achievement. "Motherfucker..." Fayette almost popped up a vein at his blatant admission of a crime. "Just say it..." "It''s not a bad deal for you, I''m being considerate due to your strength and this pair of... cuties..." He said referring to the two bears. "I''ll help you cause a distraction and have your girls help mine squeeze out, if we make it... I''ll personally lead you to the next safe place." He assured and even punched his chest a few times to remark how trustable he truly is, no one is buying that shit. "How do you even know what''s outside?" Vera asked with doubts in her head, there is something that''s not right in his story. "I come from outside the city, and that place I''m talking about, although I don''t dare call it heaven, at least there you will be fighting common monsters rather than royal demons." He summarized, he''d be lying if he said anywhere in hell is ''safe'', it''s just a less dangerous environment for humans. "..." Valentine considered his words and shared a few glances with his girls. ''Something is not right, why does he need our help?'' The gates are being guarded strictly for them, right? then why is this person having issues leaving the city as well? Is he being pursued too? "And what exactly can you help me with?" No matter how many times he regarded this vagrant, he''s not the fighting type... unless beneath those rags conceal a shaman king. "I have these~" The man lifted up his rags and bloody hell, he''s ripped! ''Shit... something is not right.'' There is no way a vagrant can be this ripped and bulky, Hell is truly an odd place filled with odd people, them as the primary example. Not only he''s ripped, several bombs are hanging up in there, Vera recognised them but those are different. "These are to create smoke and I''m skilled with the bow, I have several explosives as well... my only desire is that you will help me and my woman out of this hell hole. You''ve had the easy point of the stick and are not aware of the things we commonfolk have to do to not get our souls stolen or pillaged by those bastards." The man released his mockery tone to turn into something more stern. "I see, but I don''t trust you... as far as I know, you could be one of them trying to lure us." ''Sasha'' could change her aspect into that of ''Sasha'' so why can''t these two be demons in disguise. "Fair enough, it seems hell hasn''t been kind to you since you arrived, what do you want me to do then?" This is standard procedure in this place, if you want trust, you need to expose yourself. "I want you to engage the demon soldiers first in front of me and kill at least one, if I see them attacking you indiscriminately, perhaps I''ll believe..." "..." "J-J¨¹rgen don''t do it!" The woman immediately yelled and held her man''s hand, she knows how dangerous a Demon Soldier is, for him alone to kill one is ridiculous. "Relax, if it''s just this much... very well, I accept." The man, now identified as J¨¹rgen said lightly, he''d do his best so long as she could leave the city, obviously, he intends to leave as well, but is aware of the difficulty of the situation. "Nice, then let''s crack on with it, I don''t want to remain in this city another second, there are demon soldiers everywhere and these bears will be like a sore spot on a pristine sheet." The bringer of euthanasia pulled him on the bear and they started to make their way to the gate that was several hundred metres away. ** ** ''A protector? when did they enter the city?'' One of the guards saw the bear coming from inside the city, they were here to capture a single individual. These checkpoints always have demons taking note of who enters the city, their soul rank and their name, regardless of human or demon, so long as they come from the outside, they must get their names and soul ranks. This person with a callisto bear is definitely a protector, let alone this is a mutation... a human can''t possibly tame and ride one of them, the question is... who? there are no registries of any protectors in this city. The Demon Soldiers only have a single piece of data regarding the objectives they have to take into ''custody''. Three bronze ranks or above, a blondie, an auburn-haired beauty and a man with a weird knife... the one that slaughtered bellcroft, his appearance, in particular, was engraved in stone and publicly available. ''He''s together with someone'' "Down from the bear... where are you coming from and where are you going? Place your hand in here." The Demon Soldier, a bulky purple-skinned demon with heavy armour asked the two of them, when they didn''t come down from the bear, he knew they''d be troublesome. He took out a weird ball that has the capacity to assert the rank of soul they have. "I''m afraid we''re in a rush, guard." The vagrant spoke first, sadly, with that appearance... "Shut the fuck up, you two come down from the bear now!" The only thing he received in exchange for his efforts, was that when he opened his mouth to scream, a ball found itself locked between his jaws! Valentine immediately grew alert and bent the other way! !!! *BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!-------------- A bloody mess splashed all around as the head of the Demon Soldier exploded like a watermelon, the two of them even felt the impact of the wave coursing through their bodies! ''This fucker really did it!'' Valentine didn''t expect the man not only to follow with his words but to even cause such a bloody mess! "I HAVE DONE IT! LOOK AT YOUR LITTLE CORPSE BITCH! NOW RUN RUN!!" The vagrant laughed maniacally and held tightly against Valentine, bracing for the unimpeded acceleration! "YOU FUCKING MADMAN!" *GROWWWLLL!!!* He immediately commanded Miki to run as the commotion spread through all the onlookers, a demon soldier just died! The other four demon soldiers regarded the corpse of the demon soldiers while the smaller demons started to scavenge for whatever they could find... surely his core blasted into tiny pieces that they can devour! But they were in for the bigger price, three of them immediately noticed the assailant''s gaze the moment the cloak literally blasted apart and the evildoers were covered in blood and braincells. "IT''S HIM! GET HIM!" The pursuit started, bells rang, demon soldiers ran and that was Fayette and Vera''s cue, they pulled the vagrant''s woman into their bear and started to make it for the gate! *CRUNCH!* *CRUNCH!* "Prepare the arrows, Faye!" Vera commanded Teddi and ran forward, not bothering with the demons the bear crushed in the way, what matters now is that they have to escape. "Right, careful!" *WOOSH!* !!! Fayette''s senses ringed and she lowered the three girl''s heads as an axe literally cleaned their necks, one of the demon soldier guards had tried to slaughter them just now! ''Shit, that was close!'' "I... I''m good with the bow, I can help you!" The woman yelled from behind Fayette, trying to grasp hard against the blonde''s body, riding a bear is just too hectic! She felt that it might have been better to ride a bull. "Then take this!" Fayette passed her another bow and a few arrows with lesser quality, she can''t afford to risk the good ones. "Yes!" Chapter 80 - Pursuit Of Madness I "Stop right there human!!" The silhouette of the city turned gradually dimmer as Miki ran with all her strength, faster than Valentine had expected her to be, she''s FAST!! He barely managed to keep a grip without falling and only glanced behind once to make sure that his girls were following behind, after he witnessed the figure of Teddi running far behind the four catching up Demon Soldiers, he sighed in relief, everything is going according to the plan. He had to admit that this madman is efficient. *BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!---------------- Explosions shook his core from behind as the Vagrant continued to throw bombs to fend off the four demon soldiers that were catching up quickly and flying towards them with a variety of weapons, two of them had broadswords while the other two had spears, long spears. The greed in their eyes is incalculable, they know that bastard is a bronze soul! And it''s four of them, no matter how much of a protector he is, he shouldn''t be able to fight against four Demon Soldiers. "UGGH!!!!" One of them groaned in pain when an arrow hit him square in his spine, sinking deep and almost making him fall! His gaze focused to the rear where Fayette was already aiming her next arrow, she knows that they will likely have to kill these Demon Soldiers, she studied the battlefield, outside of the city, there is only barren land, so far she hasn''t seen anything else, it''s a like a desert with scalding hot sand. "We need to separate them, Vera! Prepare yourself we''re gonna have to kill two of them!" "Got it!" Vera who had been leading Teddi understood that those greedy demons weren''t going to retreat. *WOOSH!!!* Another arrow came from behind Fayette, it was the girl from before who shot an arrow that impacted the Demon''s wing, but it wasn''t as efficient as Fayette''s shot, still, it slowed him down a bit. "You''re not half bad!" Fayette grinned, this is going perfectly, Valentine is already fighting one of the Demon Soldiers from above Miki''s back, as always he''s resourceful. "Thank you! m-my name is Sophia! Pleased to make your acquaintance!" She yelled and prepared her next arrow, politeness above all. "Fayette!" "Vera!" ... Introductions are done and respect garnered, it was time to face the Demon Soldier that turned around to face them, but... she needs the other one to turn back as well, she knows Valentine by himself with Miki aren''t going to be able to defeat three of them on their own and she doesn''t know that Vagrant''s battle prowess. *WOOSHHH!!!* Her arrow went straight through the other Demon Soldier''s arm who had been intending to engage with his spear, the impact made him lose his bearings and release the spear as he turned to look at Fayette with wrath. "We have their attention and their wrath!" She smiled together with Vera, only Sophia didn''t sound as convinced. The city could almost not be seen already, that''s how fast they''re travelling on top of the bears. ... *BAANG!!* "DISGUSTING HUMAN! DIE!!" Valentine had already let go of the reins, leaving Miki to ride on pure instinct. He cursed inwardly at these disgusting demons, the greed in their eyes, they''re looking at him as if he''s a piece of golden lingot. "BASTARD! DON''T TAKE OUT THAT THING HERE!" He saw the vagrant was prepared to take out one of the bigger bombs and explode them right here like a kamikaze, this nutjob! "OH!" The guy evaded one of the spears and gripped tightly just to delay the demon, he took out one of the smoke bombs and triggered it. *BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!-------------- As if a squid had just exploded in front of them, the world turned black and even Miki tripped on something and fell head first, having the four of them, two humans and two demon soldiers get rocketed to the ground heavily. *GROWWL!!* *BAAAANGGGG!!!* *BAAAANGGGG!!!* *BAAAANGGGG!!!* *BAAAANGGGG!!!* Four clouds of dust were created amidst the darkness of the smoke as they impacted the ground. ... It took a minute before the world regained its calmness. "Where are they!?" One of the demons yelled, big mistake. "I don''t know, find them!" The other one also answered another big mistake. Pointing out their locations. The two demon soldiers started to use their wings to get rid of the smoke the moment they regained their balance, but they didn''t notice the two predators! *FIIUSSH!!!* Valentine''s two knives sank deep in one of the demons'' backs, bypassing the armour with one but failing with the horntail! "HAAAA!! SCUM!!" *FIUUSSHH!!* He dragged the knife harshly with poison and made sure to cut one of his wings! "WWAAAAAA!!!" The other one got literally crushed by Miki who bit on the demon''s head harshly but had to bear the brunt of his elbow against her ribs. *GROWWWLL!!* One of the demon soldier''s elbows was so strong that it shook her entire body, but she refused to let go of the demon''s head as she coated it with magma. "HAAAA!!!" Jurgen approached the demon Miki was going against and started to stab it repeatedly, thankfully, the bear''s weight was keeping him in place, otherwise, a mere fist would be enough to destroy his life. .... "DISGUSTING HUMAN! HOW DARE YOU!!?" The other demon, now missing a wing glared at the accused bastard who made him take heavy losses, the smoke cleared to give way to barren land and he saw his ''companion'' get pressed harshly against the sand while the vagrant stabbed him repeatedly here and there, it didn''t seem to be too effective, but he could only stab where there was no armour. The demon with a missing wing, his first reaction was to help his companion, the one he had planned to slaughter in order to monopolise the profits, but Valentine got in between with a wicked grim. "Why don''t you fight this ''disgusting human'' then?~" He lunged at the demon, knowing that it would be a difficult battle, but the demon is injured, in the distance, she could see Fayette, Vera, Teddi and the girl were also engaging two demons and seemingly doing well, he can breathe in relief. *WOOOSHH!!* He swung his broadsword at Valentine, a simple shake of swords let Valentine know that although he''s not as strong as Bellcroft, it is still not an opponent he can deal with physically. *CLAAANG!!* He had to retreat in the first exchange and charge again, meanwhile, the demon that wailed in pain at having his head literally burned and his chest stabbed again and again, took his spear and managed to impale it inside Miki''s ribs! *GROAWWWALL!!* *BAANG!!* Miki roared in pain and with another first right at the gapping wound, she had to stumble away in pain, having the demon release his spear coated with lava. *BAANG!!* With another blast, Jurgen got sent away pitifully while spitting blood, twisting painfully on the ground and holding the site of impact, his shoulder that''s likely broken. ''Dammit, demon soldiers are just too strong, how is that bastard fighting against one of them!?'' He questioned and prepared to throw a bomb, he can''t allow the two of them to engage Valentine, after he''s killed, they''re next. *BOOOOOMMMMM!!!------- The heavily injured demon felt a bomb explode right in front of his head that had him stumble across the sandy floor with gales of wing spreading the dust of the explosion away. "UGH!" He could barely stand, blood flowed from the demon''s wounds that were regenerating slowly, but most of the pain came from his head, he had a new ''helmet'' made out of rock, the problem is, that helmet was technically fused with his flesh! Jurgen helped Miki up, ''There is no way I''m fighting him myself!'' The vagrant thought, rightfully so, that the bear has a bigger chance of stalling him. For God''s sake, he only received a wave of the demon''s hand and he feels like dying already. The Volcanic Bear growled, she had to help her master to at least not fight the two of them at the same time, so she charged once again with magma coming out of her wound, sealing it back. ... While hearing Miki''s pained groans, Valentine knew he had to take down this demon quicker, several cuts marred the demon''s body, the ruby knife went cleanly through the armour but barely managed to cut the demon''s flesh afterwards, so he performed something better. Valentine cut a box through the demon''s armour right on the abdomen where he could wantonly dissect him. At some point, the demon started to consider retreating, realising how greedy he had been, but it''s too late, Valentine wouldn''t allow a survivor that would just come afterwards or worse, he''d leak their new location, rendering their escape useless. *SLASSH!!!* The knife went through the demon''s wrist and the broadsword fell when the demon''s grip loosened, Valentine took it, it was heavy but not something he couldn''t handle. "HAAAA!!" With that same sword, he impaled the demon through the ''box'' he had carved previously in the armour! "UGGH!!!" A groan of pain and the demon lost his balance that was greatly stunned after losing one of his heavy wings. *BAANGG!!* The two of them fell heavily on the ground and Valentine quickly dodged a fist coming his way, he took the horntail, and sank it deeply once again, having the demon growl and stumble. *FIUSSH!!* He finalized it by having the Ruby knife sinking right into the helmet and the brain of the demon. "HAA!!" He punched the handle of the knife to make it go a little deeper, and after an initial struggle... the demon stopped moving. "HAA..." He sighed and took out the bloodied sword before making his way to the other demon that was bullying his pitiful bear. The gales of dusty wind threatened to enter his eyes and he had to cover his bloodied face, in the distance, the girls still fought harshly. "One more to go...." Chapter 81 - Pursuit Of Madness II The furthest end war between Vera, Fayette, Teddi, Sophia and the Demon Soldiers wasn''t any less thrilling than Valentine''s and his crazy bunch. If anything, due to her skill with the arrows, Fayette garnered the wrath of both demons in the air, she''s not a fool, she used the worst arrows against the wings, hoping to just have them lose their major source of mobility and leave them behind. But once she contemplated that Valentine and Jurgen fell from Miki''s back in the distance, whatever hope for a clean escape she had in her mind disappeared. Now they have to fight to the end. "VERA!!" She didn''t need to articulate. "OKAY!" Vera saw that incident as well and thought about the best course of action. "SOPHIA, PREPARE!" !!! Prepare for what!? The girl wondered dumbly in her mind only to notice how the bear came to an abrupt stop and she was rocketed to the front together with the other girls! It was instant... the demon that had been coming from behind with his wounded wings, crashed heavily against Teddi''s big yet harsh butt! *BAANGGG!!* *GROWLL!!* Like a featherless crow, he plastered against the bear''s butt while Teddi groaned in annoyance. To the front, Vera who had been impulsed by Teddi''s abrupt stop jumped with her Rose Eagle Thorn in hand and intended to use the momentum to impale the heck out of the incoming demon, but her plan didn''t go as she hoped. *SLASH!!!* Her knife went through the demon''s wing like butter. *FIIUSH!!* Fayette who had also jumped and aimed straight at the demon''s head, a small gap in the helmet, shot and arrow but missed by a small margin, leaving a bloody wound in the demon''s cheek as she clicked her tongue in annoyance. She just lost one of her best arrows, but hitting a flying target at point-blank in this hectic while moving at ridiculous speeds would be a miracle in its own right, and perhaps, the best shot she would have done in her life. *BANG!!* *BANG!!* *BANG!!* *BANG!!* The three of them fell heavily on the sand while the bloodied Demon fell somewhere else, Teddi technically sat on top of the Demon''s head, had it been a common demon, he''d be crushed into a gruesome meat patty, but this is a Demon Soldier. Fayette recovered first and pulled the other two girls up, they don''t have time to lose. They regarded their bear, Teddi, who was already fighting one of the Demon Soldiers who luckily lost his weapon somewhere in this sand field while the other flapped his wings in annoyance and pain, one of them was technically cut in half, the wound left behind by Vera, it needed but a bit of touch to tear off, the mere sight, gruesome. "..." This dark-skinned demon, Vera already has experience with this bunch so she lunged first! "Faye, cover!" She yelled intending to swallow the bastard''s core and have her knife coated with a little more blood. "...?" Fayette who had been in the process of taking out her knives furrowed her brows, she still took them out and approached slightly but continued using her bow just in case. Just in case Vera needed physical cover, she still wanted to see Vera''s capabilities and how much she had grown by herself after the incident in the alleyways. "Sophia! go and help Teddi! go for the legs and wings!" She ordered the woman knowing that the Callisto bear alone wouldn''t make it against the Demon Soldier, if Sophia suppressed the demon''s mobility, Teddi would have a greater chance of defeating it. "Understood!" The girl ran, following instructions, she''s really not that proficient with the bow, she''s just lucky, or at least that''s what she considered. The girl, cloaked no longer and showcasing a long clear blonde hair, had a little more than ten arrows and aimed them at the man that was causing heavy losses for the bear, it was a purple-skinned demon with plates protecting his key weaknesses, but the legs were rather uncovered. She shot a single arrow that went through the calf and the demon groaned in panic totally powerless to evade the bear''s paws! *BAANG!!* The demon got blasted away, but regained himself shortly after with his gaze focused on both of them, Teddi stood in between as if asserting ''I''m your opponent!'' ... Fayette kept doing the same for Vera but noticed the latter get gradually overwhelmed, her knife went through like butter, but this demon is agile and nimble!! The demon groaned in pain when yet another arrow impacted him on the shoulder, he knows he can defeat Vera, but not with that nuisance assisting from the side. "DIE!!" He flashed like a phantom towards Fayette but didn''t expect the latter to be expecting that already! She allowed herself to fall gracefully and the demon floated above her, the woman grinned. "You''re easy to read! Next time, don''t focus too much on your prey!" Fayette yelled with mockery, the demon''s eyes and positioning switched so abruptly that his objective was more than clear, she had an arrow ready from ages ago. *FIUSSHH!!* Her arrow went straight through the chest, the position where the heart is, thankfully, Vera had made sure to cut a gap in there. She fell on the ground lightly while the demon technically crashed on the sand behind her. "Finish him, Vera!" Both of them know a mere arrow to the heart is not enough to kill one of these bulky dudes. The moment the woman jumped with her knife in her hand a maniacal expression, Fayette knew that the demon is dead... and she didn''t want to witness the gruesome epilogue. She stood up with the eerie noises of slaughtering flesh and wails behind and focused on the remaining Demon Soldier who is about to be eaten be stepped on by Teddi. *FIUUSHH!!* She shot a single arrow that went through the feet at a ridiculous distance of a few dozen metres with gales of dust gales, but... calculated with her special eye. The demon stumbled, enough for Teddi to do the rest. And yet another spectacle of blood and liver ensued, as if connected with Vera, Teddi left behind the core, so clear... devoided of bone or flesh. ** ** "Did you get the loot?" Valentine and a staggering Jurgen approached with Miki, both coated in blood. They''re outside of the city now, nothing in sight, just dust, gales and sand together with three shiny yellowish moons atop the sky, were they always that tonality? "Yes, keep the swords and the plates, they''re good quality" Fayette announced while Sophia scavenged the corpses professionally. "What about the money~" Jurgen saw his woman do the good work and stopped pretending to be a beggar, bending back straight and fixing his hair. "..." The trio regarded this with awe, the fuck? "What? you think a vagrant can have such a beautiful woman and skills like mine? ~ this is the netherworld, guys." Sadly there is no water to clean all the shit on his face, but beggars can''t be choosers, he knows that well. "It could happen..." Vera said, amused. "Explain..." "What do you want me to explain? in order to survive you have to appear weak enough to be insignificant, don''t you think?~" "Indeed, but then she..." "I''m afraid I couldn''t get rid of her beauty, I''m proud of it you know? a cloak should do, I''d slaughter anyone else that approaches..." Seeing both ladies that were visually more beautiful than his girl, he threw Valentine a sharp glare, as if this man is the enemy of husbands. And he is. "Listen, I have enough problems already." Valentine waved his hands as if he''s making business and slanted outrage whichever eardrums his words entered! "What did you say!?" Both his girls immediately groaned and took each of his arms possessively but also outraged. ''See?'' He threw Jurgen a glare, this bastard got him in trouble again, unaware that he''s the one that uttered the words of contentment. Sophia hook her arm around Jurgen''s arm and didn''t say anything, the sight of the two aggrieved girls was a sight to behold. "Forget about intending to get any crazy ''arrangements'', okay, Jurgen?~" Still, she had her fair share of poison for her man too, seeing one of those infamous ''harems'' in front... she couldn''t allow Jurgen to get any ideas. "O-Of course!!!" The man shivered, and Valentine pitied that fool, unaware of his own position. Two mass murderers would never understand how a woman''s gaze can be so threatening. ... "You can keep it, here... your assistance was very welcomed." Fayette gave the amethyst coins and carbon souls to Jurgen and his woman, they didn''t need it, they just took the plates and the weapons, she gifted Sophia the bow she had and a horntail for Jurgen. Sadly, the loot is great and those swords and spears can''t be given away. "I told you, you wouldn''t regret it!" Jurgen yelled, it had gone better than he hoped. "Now tell us where to go next." Valentine opened his arms towards the endless gales of dust, DARING Jurgen to tell them where to go next. He can''t even distinguish North from South. The barren lands and gales of dust surrounded them, where could they possibly go!? "We need to look for the steps we left before the sand clears it, otherwise we will be utterly disoriented, look for them!" He started to run straight away with a stern gaze, if they lose those tracks, they''re fucked. Valentine understood that''s his way for self-guidance, they all set off to find the steps immediately, the more time they allow to pass, the more likely it is that the steps will disappear and hence, they need to do it in haste. Chapter 82 - Blood Maiden Forest: Peace, Never An Option. After four days of relentless training, Vera managed to restrain her roots, difficult it had been but in the end, the training paid off, a cluster of mental instructions that made her know her body from scratch, she doesn''t know where those roots even come from, it''s as if they''re created inside her body with some kind of energy or whatever and then protrude, the same way a tree sprouts from a seed. She''s the seed. "You''re doing better, at least like this we can take a worry out of our shoulders." Valentine sighed and hugged his girl, truthfully, he had been frightened when he saw those roots, everything in this netherworld is a treacherous endeavour, the fact that the mahogany tree was tricking them never left his mind even once. Fayette too sighed in relief and embraced Vera, still, she couldn''t help but think of the use cases that this ability has. "We should train it, Vera... to see what its limitation is." Valentine followed on with Fayette''s initial thoughts, they''re about to enter a world of continuous slaughter in which having such an ability could give them the edge to overtake their rivals, rivals that aren''t human at all. This might have been truly a fruitful encounter for Vera, yet they still need to discover what the backlash is, there must be something that''s not right in this deal. "Your natural weakness should be fire and dry places, does that mean we need to carry water with us at all times?" "Yes, I was thinking the same thing, for now, I know that if my roots are squashed or bent... or destroyed, I experience immense pain, it felt as if you had broken my marrow back then." She pouted slightly, scavenging for excuses to get another kiss. She received it from both of them who apologised, indeed, it''s no one''s fault truly, but they still hurt Vera. "I have been feeling thirstier than before indeed, and... I no longer piss, it''s as if my body is processing those fluids, it just so happened that they exploded that night and I lost control of it." Vera summarized her feelings, this special capability might bring about several upcoming worries, but she''s willing to take them on as long as they can research this ability further. "Then we must make a mechanism to have water in the house at all times... should we make a pool?" Fayette smiled and suggested, having several ideas in her head already considering the fact that the lake is not that far away. *RUSTLE!!* !!! The three of them grew alert and regarded the base of the tree from above, there, Miki and Teddi lifted up and started to growl towards a particular direction. *GROWWLLLLL!!!* "Miki, wait!" "Teddi, don''t do anything yet." They stopped the bears from charging straight away, Valentine jumped from the tree together with Fayette while Vera remained above, watching, as long as she doesn''t control this power, she''s a variable factor that''s rather not involved, who knows what consequences this ability might bring in the middle of a life and death combat. In the distance, they caught a silhouette, and she recognised it straight away, it''s the troll! "Wait, don''t attack it, it''s the troll from before, just remain on guard!" The troll approached slowly, carrying something. It looked around as if contemplating whether this is a trap or not. Afterwards, seeing that those humans are just looking and not doing anything, it recognised the bears, left whatever it was carrying and ran off. "..." They didn''t understand what was happening, why is this troll acting so oddly? "Miki, bring that thing over," Valentine ordered with furrowed brows, that bear had left something before departing, some package of some sort. Miki moved cautiously and took the thing, it''s an animal... a dead animal, the contusions indicate that the troll had blasted the head of this ''boar'' with the club and brought it over. "..." "What is this supposed to mean? it killed a boar and brought it here, let alone... it knows where we live." Fayette uttered in disbelief while Vera also jumped from the tree, landing rather heavily as Valentine held her. "Fool, don''t jump like that..." "S-Sorry, I think it''s some kind of offering? perhaps because I allowed it to live." It doesn''t make sense, this is hell and that''s a troll that is way bigger than them physically, perhaps it''s scared of Miki and Teddi? "Don''t you think it might be poisonous?" There is also the likelihood of that happening, they just couldn''t comprehend, could it be that this creature is THAT intelligent? Clever enough to know to not enrage its neighbours...? "Let''s discover it... we''re going to the river canal, perhaps it is settled in there." Valentine didn''t want to let go of this little detail, it''s something paramount and his current first priority, not only does a troll know where they live, but it is also leaving corpses around. Was this the earth he''d believe someone is either playing a prank or trying some African magic against them... as ridiculous as it sounds, he has seen this several times in Nigeria and Kenya back in his sploits in the Earth, even South America, could those heretic acts have any effect here? That would thread his mind at another time, right now, there is something else. This is the netherworld and that troll could be seeking an... alliance. He pulled them on top of Miki. "Teddi, stay here and guard okay?" *GROOAAWWL!!* The lazy bear accepted gleefully, totally unlike her troublesome magma companion, if this bear can sleep... she will sleep. ** ** They journeyed for half a day through the canal, encountering many monsters, Valentine had an idea, they slaughtered one of the puma-porcupine types he witnessed before and took it on top of Miki. "Shh... I hear something." They stopped as Valentine lifted his fist, a signal to stop. Smoke was coming from somewhere at his six o''clock. "Thread carefully..." He said and they approached slowly, through the tall trees and the fog, a structure went visible. It''s a house! He marvelled together with the girls, there are... traps around, they''re a little obvious, but those are spikes for sure. They encircled it and ignored the obvious traps that were designed for bigger beasts, however, even Miki knew how to evade those traps. As they approached, the sight of a sitting troll became visible, and beside him was another troll! !!! When the troll caught a glimpse of them, it immediately stood up with a headstart and growled. Fayette took out her knife, but Valentine once again lifted up his fist with a gaze filled with contemplation. "Don''t do anything rash... Miki, release the puma." He ordered Miki, not even raising his voice too much. *GROWL...* Miki did as ordered, and the puma fell down, both trolls marvelled, and he could notice that through the rags they wore, one is a male and the other, a female... "This is a family..." Fayette gaped and lowered her knife, they have a house and they''re a couple... and they''re cooking. "Incredible... t-they actually organise themselves in families." Vera also sighed in amazement, once again, she did a good find, now she''s relieved, feeling like trash had she killed the male troll of this family. Gazes locked for a few moments with the big troll slowly approaching them, he calmed down the moment Miki released the puma. Valentine, Fayette and Vera saw down together with Miki who just lay on her belly, waiting... The troll took the puma, and started to prepare it! His way of cooking was rather... unorthodox, crushing the entire body of the beast until he made sure that bones were no longer working properly inside... peeling the skin and taking the needles one by one... the smoothness used to perform this is insane and displayed experience, these trolls aren''t just trolls. They''re smart, know how to hunt, know how to hunt, organise themselves... what exactly is their precedence and are there more? they perhaps haven''t touched upon less than ten per cent of this forest, perhaps even ten per cent is an exaggeration "..." It took away the needles and stored them, obviously having his own usage for them, no words were exchanged with the female troll regarding them at all times as they just sat there. He used some of the needles to put the flesh on fire, and they waited for the flesh to cook, no communication whatsoever towards the humans which they already knew is futile. *GROAAAWLL!* *GROAAAWWLL!!* They started to talk between themselves in the form of growls and it triggered them slightly, in this situation, any unexpected movement is a gamble, they''re just... gambling on a better result that''s better than just slaughtering them. "They''re talking..." At that moment, one of the doors opened, and yet another troll came out of there! A little kid troll, the trolls were so big, that the child troll was equivalent to them in size... "Oh my god.... they have a kid." Fayette and Vera marvelled, now the latter is more than happy that Chapter 83 - Royal Business, One For All. "And who exactly are you...?" Valentine, Fayette and Vera''s expressions portrayed the epitome of annoyance and ire. They went through a bloody battle and three days of lurking in that accursed desert squeezing themselves through the wake of a gigantic worm-like beast that luckily enough, didn''t catch them... only to be met by a ''Marques'' right outside of the goal. If this is not a sad joke, what is? "It seems your ears aren''t working properly, I''ll repeat myself one last time... I''m Marques Warcroft, the ruler of the Mahogany Devilish City." The man walked lazily with his light golden armour and hair flowing down, leaned against a tree. His skin is orange, an odd colour indeed and those horns are anything if not intimidating. "And what do you want, supposed Marques?" Valentine didnt mock but also believed not whatever was told to him on the get go. To claim oneself a ''Marques'' is not something simple. "To talk to me with such contempt, it seems the word ''afraid'' doesn''t appear in your dictionary for longer" The demon smirked evility and released his oppressing aura, that straightforward action produced a response. The three of them did something that he would have never imagined. Forming a triangle Valentine''s knife pierced Vera''s tight, poking her crystal and producing a small tingle of pain through her entire body, the same happened to Fayette who was being ''poked'' in the waist by Vera''s knife and Valentine who had Fayette''s arrow pierce his skin and scratch his golden soul. !!! "You!" Warcroft couldn''t believe this, these three maniacs would kill one another, straight where it hurts. The three of them were prepared to kill one another and fall together the moment they realised that they could not defeat this foe. It was automatic. A degree of cohesion only reached after the fear of death has been purged and a strong bond has formed. "Say what you must or fuck off, but if you try something... you''re not getting our souls, bastard." The three of them wouldn''t yield, they didn''t come so far just to act like pussies in front of a Royal Demon. "Interesting... I don''t come to take your souls, humans... as much as I''d like to." He waved his hand back and forth with irritation, his gaze fixed on Valentine, the soul that he wanted. That golden soul that can have him become a Demon Earl, so close yet so far away, what''s the use to stealing it now, if he still has to process it, by then... Lucretia Descartes will have his head on a platter with a precious gift in the form of his core. "..." "I have been watching you, Valentine... for a long time through many means, unable to touch you... I come to offer the three of you a deal." "What is it? Just speak quickly is getting hot in here..." His words contained no respect. "Impudence... Hmph! Become the protectors of my Mahogany Devilish City, in exchange I''ll give you a badge that will allow you status in the rest of the cities, and several useful ''gadgets'' but you work for me... and just for me, understood?" Warcroft uttered the deal, it''s simple. After technically moving though the cities with a disguise of protectors, they''re now being given the real thing. the three of them still didn''t remove the knives, they know royal demons have that ridiculous power that stops movement, they needed to be fast enough to react and hence the knives were firmly pressing against the crystals inside the flesh. It''s not bullet-proof but it is better than nothing. "And what does being a protector and working for you entails?" Fayette asked first. "I''ll send you to missions... to slaughter someone or to save someone... or fetch goods, I trust you will be able to accomplish it more efficiently than if I sent any of my underlings, hence why I''m taking you as the ''protectors'' of my domain... as for your advantages, you bear my badge, anyone that harms you, if I realise, is liable to be slaughtered by me... if it''s a higher power, through the badge I''ll know and that person will have issued a declaration of war to me." "..." "You can also inhabit my mansion in the city safely or roam through it without fearing the demons..." "Why the fuck you didn''t offer this before then?!" "I needed to test you... and you passed, simple as that." "You''re not going to ask for a contract?" Vera knew, according to Sasha, protectors have contracts with the demons that granted them such status. "You''re a special case, sadly, I can''t have a deal with you, but if any of you ladies are willing..." "Not a chance...!" "Sad..." "We accept, but we''re not living in your mansion, I''d rather live in the alleyways." Valentine disdained, as if he''d trust a demon that he met just today. *WOOSHH!!* "These are your badges, I can communicate and locate you with them... If I ever need to send you anything, one of my subordinates will come and give it to you right here, if you Madlads want to live in this forest that''s your concern, I''m not sending my people inside..." He wouldn''t send his retainers here just for them to die a meaningless death, he didn''t care about their lives but demon soldiers aren''t easily groomed, he''s happy that those five bastards they slaughtered belong to Gleipnir, otherwise, it would have cause a great loss to his side. "Is that all? No chitchat?" The three of them took the golden badges and wondered, this guy just came and left like this. They don''t even know who this person is in a fundamental way or even personal, it''s like becoming the hitman of people you don''t even know, Valentine could relate. "I already know what''s to be known of you, as for im you to know my secrets, Hmph! That''s not possible... this is my other gift for you, it''s a ring capable of holding a limited amount of space within your soul... like this you don''t have to carry all your luggage with you and it will assist you with the missions. Good luck finding whom to give it to, bastard~" He mocked the man amidst the trio, his greed would be his doom, having two women and with both of them being dangerous girls. ''Farewell to your dick... not today, not now, but eventually...'' The demon mocked inwardly. !!! Valentine hadn''t thought about that, in fact, surely the girls didn''t either in a spur of the moment, but his words were clearly layed to create conflict, and they were successful. Who gets the ring!? "You''re welcome to come back to my city anytime, your first mission is in a month, if I don''t find you then... you better run." Marques Warcroft''s wings came out of nowhere, gigantic... they flapped producing gales as he flew away. *WOOOSHHH!!!* ... Those were many words in each sentence. They removed the knives from their most fragile spots and sighed in relief, glaring at the protector badges. But there is another issue. Now Valentine has a single ring and two tigresses. he could also just retain the ring and use it himself, but perhaps... he''d perish quicker that way and not live past tonight. *COUGH!* "Faye..." "...?" Her heart fluttered slightly while Vera bit her lips. "We need to enter, let''s go..." He took both of their hands and started to make his way inside the foggy forest. "..." Fayette bit her lips this time, aggrieved while Vera flashed her an amused glint. Both bears followed behind, unaware of the troubles of life, so long as they can get some flesh every so often... all good. ** ** It has been a nice journey for the three of them. This forest is dangerous, definitely. Creatures resembling goblins, trolls, snakes of all sizes. Say what you want and we got it for you... *BAAMM!!* *BAAAMM!!* "Its coming down!" "WOOO!!" *BOOOOMMM!!!* This is the third tree they have taken down today, the swords are able to pierde through. Valentine has already made the plans for building a house, he and Fayette are building the pieces with wood while Vera guards the perimeter. "There is another one of those cunts coming... wait, Hmph, he''s smart enough to flee." She giggled when one of the goblins with a club in hand retreated in fear upon regarding her bloodied figure, she doesn''t know how many cores of those bastards she has eaten. They''re not tasty, but they sate the Rose Eagle Thorn. "Is the house really going to be on the trees?" She asked in disbelief but also, expectation, she never expected to live in the trees ever, and with the two of them more so. "Yes, we need to make it high enough to be concealed from anyone or anything''s perspective... thankfully, the forest is high enough to perform this vision." Valentine cleaned his sweat and so did Fayette, this place is so hot that they''re wearing only their underwear to work. "You know this mist is something we should be careful about, fog is usually produced in cold areas due to the impact between two different weather conditions... this is artificial mist." She cut a few more pieces of wood and uttered. "We can''t rely on our knowledge to gauge weather conditions in the netherworld, but let us retain this piece in our minds just in case.." He answered, they were supposed to look for a lake of sorts nearby to get water, hopefully there would be some nearby, where there is mist, there must be water. Chapter 84 - Get Used To The Wild "It''s more difficult than I expected..." Fayette said while killing a small snake with disgust, the problem is... those damned green snakes must have a world-ending poison of some sort, whatever you see in this Netherworld that resembles normal life? multiply it by a hundred. "Have you never built a house in a tree before?" He smirked, they were now creating the base of the house atop three long stems. "Never, I lived in a mansion, remember?~" She also snickered and they started to use quite the handy object to keep the timber together, a great replacement for screws and nails, sharpened goblin bones. "What about the barracks? you forgot that?~" "Even there I was treated like a princess, my strength unparalleled... my might, indisputable... only you don''t recognise my merits." She ''pouted'' as they continued their flirt, meanwhile an irritated Vera was really getting pissed. She''s having the worst end of it all, guarding, simply because she fears the heights... and she has never built anything before... and she''s more proficient in slaughtering things than building things. Details. "Could the two of you stop flirting? I''m getting jealous... and you know what happens when I get jealous, I start cutting dicks..." "Those goblins have plenty of dicks for you to cut anyway~" "Then I''m gonna start cutting vaginas..." Vera growled, this damned blondie always argue... as a lady, it''s her first time meeting another lady she can''t beat in an argument. "Surely there is some ''goblina'' around go and look for her while we have some fun here~" She heard that mocking voice coming from up above and released a small growl of frustration, surely enough a goblin came with a club... sneaking through the forest with his gaze set on her, murderous. "Come here!" She flashed like a mad tigress, scaring the shit away of the poor creature, in this forest, they''re not locked away with those creatures... those creatures are locked away with Vera. And she''s hungry anyway, might as well. ... "You like teasing her don''t you?" The man used his improvised hammer to calculate and level up the timber, but he couldn''t help on comment about this matter, Fayette is as troublesome as she is beautiful. "She''s like a little sister to me, one I share my man with..." Fayette also performed the same task in a different part of the tree, this foundation of the house is based on the tree branches and it''s going to be big enough to make a house of three bedrooms... but there won''t be three bedrooms. She never thought there would one day come a moment in which she''d live on top of trees with her lover, and the best part is that she''s looking forward to it and feels immensely happy about how everything is turning out to be. To her, this isn''t hell at all. Sadly, there is no television here, that''s the only thing needed to make it perfect, a direct satellite line to the channels on the Earth. "I''m sure you never had such a sister." He uttered matter-of-factly, but not in a good way, insinuating that she SHOULD have desired such a sister. Audacious above all. "I didn''t want such a sister!" She immediately growled, he''s as brazen as she is stubborn and beautiful, a part of her likes it tho, the other part wants to pull his damned silky auburn hair. "But you got a nice Vera, now be content with your lot... not many have the chance to get such a wonderful sister and have such an intimate relationship with her, you''re lucky." He said, even including a face of disdain that left her speechless. "SHAMELESS BASTARD!?" ''Could it be that this cunt is thinking what he''s saying? this is sarcasm right?!'' She certainly hopes so. The buxom blonde is starting to feel pity for his ex, Francesca Anglesey. And yes, she saved the ex''s name deeply into her memories, Francesca Anglesey, Christine Wagner and Rose. "You like me like that~" He uttered with the same audaciousness he always had while Fayette hoped that hammer would slip and bust his finger for ages. "..." She decided to leave the matter like that as he kept hammering, no injures much to her indignation, it was then that she got an idea... a wicked one only she could have. "Keep building the house, I''m tired." The beauty said and started to use her hand as a fan, it is indeed a little hot and she''s sweating, her gaze regarded the bottom and Vera wasn''t there... likely dismembering that goblin and feeding the Rose Eagle Thorn. "..." Valentine didn''t detect her movements until it was too late. She lay down on the foundation that was already laid, sideways with her legs in an awkward position... she wore a bra and a skirt that she bought, not wanting to use her trousers and boots in this weather, the issue is, with her current position, he can clearly ''see'' that delightful flesh tightly pressed in between her cheeks, those lips. He gulped. "Where are your panties?" He asked and kept hammering, but his gaze is no longer in the nail. *BAAMM!!* "FUCK!" There goes his finger. She smiled. "I dropped them somewhere, it''s too sweaty here." Her position changed, this time she got a little more comfortable, raising her skirt with her legs widely open. There is nothing he can''t see and it is evident by her widening smile that a reaction has been obtained going by the constraint of his shorts. "..." He didn''t pay attention to the bloody finger, literally. "Vera isn''t here~ Miki and Teddi are sleeping." Her finger moved down towards the prize drawing circles each circumference closer to the centre until she touched that sweaty pearl and released a slight moan, contrasting the silence of the forest. Why do the bears care anyway? Valentine smelt something... the combination between arousal and a woman''s scent, the smell of ecstasy the body releases to seduce her destined one. He took a deep breath. "SEDUCTRESS!! WE HAVE TO FINISH THIS BEFORE THE EVENING!" He didn''t slap his dick for such action would be counterintuitive, such is a man''s anatomy. "You like me like that~ Come on, just a quickie~" Her position changed yet again, raising up her butt and spreading herself, Fayette is a regal lady. But even the finest of ladies knows how to tease their men. "I know I can make you cum in less than two minutes~" She giggled her glorious rear and at that moment, things stopped being a game. "Come again?" He had to stop for a moment there and wonder whether he heard wrong, he must have heard wrong. *THUD!* The hammer fell luckily enough Vera wasn''t down there, otherwise, it would have deformed her pretty head. ''Hook line... and sinker.'' "As you heard... lately after our time with Vera I noticed that you have been getting rather... swift... when it comes to delivery~" She transformed her teasing into delicate metaphors. The reaction became ''harder''. "Is that so? I thought the faster the delivery, the better..." He knelt down in front of her and grasped that butt, getting rid of the mantle that covered his crotch, that comment can''t go unpunished. "Not in my case dear... I like deliveries that take long~ looonng- ahn!~" She smiled and moaned in ecstasy upon intrusion. It feels as wonderful to her as ever, in fact, this time it''s better... this place is going to be their new house, their ''nest'' of love. For the first time since they arrived in the netherworld, even if it''s not the best of commodities, they will have a house, hopefully, nothing will happen that will destroy this dream of hers. Like some cursed alleyways for example. She planted her head against the rough oak wood and started to move her butt up and fro, crashing softly and steadily against that sturdy thing and repressing her moans. "D-Don''t worry... I''ll make sure that the delivery is slow and steady, madame... you played with something you shouldn''t." He restrained his grunt and the piston started, who would have thought? their first lovemaking in their new house, and it isn''t even finished. "S-Shut up and do me... no more... d-dirty words ahn!~" Once the mood is settled, it''s time for the main course. But since she dared to play with fire, Valentine would gladfully tease her, as she tried to increase the tempo, he held her flesh and did it slowly, she cursed inwardly at this torture. ''You and your mouth Fayette! You and your mouth!'' This is pleasurable as well, but right now she wants a quick release... they can do it slowly and romantically once the house is done, right now she wants release! Valentine pulled her up by the chest, making sure to grasp them tightly and flush their bodies together, even now he can''t decipher the formula of events and chemicals that can have this connection between them be as pleasurable and intimate. It''s not something physical, it has to be something in the soul level. "Not so fast, girl... not so fast..." He loves having her like this, desiring more, unyielding yet attaining nothing. She bit her lips further, the construction of their house would have to be delayed. "I hate you... but I love you." A pair of lips met yet again for the first time in this forest, the ''hot mist'' regained a new intrinsic meaning. Chapter 85 - Our First Night A giggling Vera with bloodied hands returned to the ''house''. "I''m back!" She yelled with a smile that didn''t go with the blood in her hands, she''s limiting herself now, trying to limit her hunger to just the core, she directed the goblin and collected more bones to produce nails. After not getting an answer she furrowed her brows and started to climb the tree clumsily, trying to not look back. *BAM!* *BAM!* The hammering resumed a few seconds later much to her suspicion and when she arrived at the top, two whistling lovers were hammering the pieces of timber that she cut on the ground. "..." "Oh, Vera! you''re back!" Fayette smiled and ignored the girl''s bloodied hands, she also ignored the white liquid oozing from her crotch. "..." Valentine kept whistling and hammering, yep, this is not his concern... They had reached a deal after their first time together... one in which there would be no sex or lovemaking if either of the three wasn''t present, the worst part is that it was Fayette who set up this rule. Talk about shameless. Fayette had breached the treaty, yep, she did it herself, it''s not his business, therefore he kept hammering his nails peacefully while calming his raging boner, they had been in the middle of the second round... "Faye!!" Vera yelled in outrage and rolled her arms beneath her chest, talking about injustice, the one that sets the rules is the first to breach them! "It''s his fault! he seduced me!" The brazen blonde didn''t think twice before throwing the shit on someone else''s hand, the hands of the builder. "THE FUCK!?" And the builder, who after his last stunt with Sasha has no credibility whatsoever, had to bear the brunt of two piercing gazes, especially Vera''s since he knows the little blonde vixen is just pretending. "Valentine! a relationship won''t work if there is no trust and confidence!" Vera scolded him as if she was some kind of relationship coach. "Yes, I can see that..." He agreed while throwing Fayette a glare, this is the last time he''s getting seduced. ... "I found a lake nearby, do you want to come and have a look with me?" "Let me go too." The moment a ''bath'' phased through Fayette''s mind, she couldn''t deny the desires of her inner heart, especially since her crotch is rather... slimy. "No, you''re staying here... I''m going alone with Vera, after we secure the perimeter, I''ll personally fetch you." He wouldn''t trust this vixen anymore, they''re all traitors. "..." Fayette frowned, there are indeed a few more timbers to lay down before they''re done, his gaze seemed to say ''since you dared, now finish it...'' She sighed and got to work while the pair moved through the woods and sought the lake that Vera found. "I killed a few of those ''goblins'' how you call them, they seem to be quite abundant, likely concealing a hideout as they spread through the forest, I haven''t sensed any oddity." Vera summarized and he nodded, they need to know any hideouts for monsters because Teddi and Miki consume a lot of ''meat'' even more than them, thankfully, there is a great volume of creatures in this forest compared to the previous one. "Today we will finish the foundation, I''ll stay awake while the two of you sleep and tomorrow we can hunt." He decided to go with this standard course of action, one Fayette is already aware of. She nodded with a mysterious glint in her eyes. The lake showed itself shortly afterwards, it wasn''t humongous, it wasn''t endlessly deep or anything of the sort, but a steady current flowed through from an unknown origin, and that was enough. Positioned strategically in a clearing, Valentine could already foresee beasts coming here to take water periodically, supposing they need water. They''re just lucky enough to have it for themselves as time goes. "We have to test whether it''s safe first." Valentine frowned, at this stage, an oasis in the middle of the desert might as well be a deathtrap set by either some magic tree, some psychotic demon... or worse. He can''t yet imagine anything worse, but there must be something for sure... The man let his hand sink inside in front of Vera''s gaze, she had expected him to do this right away, it was... lukewarm, comfortably so... for the next minute nothing happened, after moving it around the surface and the relatively short bottom, but nothing happened. "It doesn''t seem to be acid, or extremely hot... there aren''t any leeches either, I''ll enter... if something swallows me inside, just run." "As if I''m going to do that, Vale..." She rolled her eyes and he sighed, indeed. After taking all his clothes out he entered and the water reached up to his tights, it wasn''t deep but it is enough to wash oneself, several could do so easily as it has an area of at least 20 square metres with the nimble flow of water coursing through his legs, there is absolutely no fish in here sadly. Or fortunately. "I''m coming in!~" With her man having tested the grounds successfully, Vera disregarded her clothes and started to splash water all around in glee while he just sat on the water, relaxing... this water is quite nice, it''s lukewarm, not cold... not extremely hot. Just perfect. With just this lake alone their findings were worthwhile and it is just two minutes away from the house on the tree. Perfection. After sinking herself inside the water, Vera giggled and leaned against her boyfriend. "It''s perfect." "It is..." He released a breath and embraced her waist, having her close... the pair remained like that for a short while with their eyes closed while Vera caressed his chest. She rejoiced at the feeling of the water nurturing her body like never before, it felt special and healthy. The thought of living in here slowly sinking in, they had been through so much, forsaking their previous lives only what had coursed across since they arrived in hell, it had been survival after survival... but for once it''s as if they''re getting somewhere. No demons hunting them, not fire raining from the skies to scorch or turn them into dust, no creature in an alleyway trying to plunder their souls away, no demoness seducing him, no demons throwing shameful glints. It''s just them, the mist and the forest. Valentine felt Vera''s tongue start running rampant around his neck, and rather than reject her, his hands started to wander, grasping one of her breasts tightly, deforming it. "Make love to me here... just us." Her tempting statement didn''t go undesired. She had enjoyed their last time together, but right now, with this incredible mood, she wanted something more private and intimate. Valentine kissed her neck and lifted her up, sitting the beauty on his lap, their lips didn''t take long to lock together in a ravenous show of passion. Her hand lowered to stand it upright to the right spot and in the most intimate of ways, a lotus position, she lowered herself softly, enjoying the ravishing feeling of flesh rubbing flesh with the lukewarm water in between soothing away her fears and settling her feelings in a crescendo that could only match his in strength. "It''s in." He said with a smile, enjoying her thoroughly, this entire setting felt so personal as if it''s just the two of them in this universe. "I love you, thank you for everything you have done for me, for saving me that day..." she''s the melancholic type, the one that always has the right words for the right moment. She didn''t mind just staying like this, joined with their flesh constricting and performing a sort of passive joy, so long as she had him in her arms. "You have said that before..." He bit on her chin lightly, tightening the embrace further, whenever she gets spooky and sweet, he likes it, she and Fayette have their own charms. Fayette is more straightforward and puckish, having her desire her body with madness, yet at the same time but to a lower extent, knows when to show her feelings. Whilst holding Vera is like holding the sweetest honey, sometimes too mellowish, but definitely the kind of assortment he wouldn''t ever get tired of, in fact, one you could get addicted to and crave every single day. The two of them are the best of both worlds and he feels lucky to have these beauties by his side, thoroughly everything is perfect. "And I will keep saying it... I love you, I don''t mind if you love Faye more... just... remember that I''m always wanting this too." She blushed slightly and started to rock back and forth. "You desire to do this with me at all times?~" A little teasing wouldn''t do badly. But unlike Fayette, Vera is sincere, she nodded and started to release her lusty moans that increased the flame that he felt deep within. "Yes, at all times~ I feel like I''m having my first time over and over again... I can''t get over it." She decided to switch off her talking interruption and switch on her ''sensing'' interruption to focus on the feeling of her crotch and move her legs in a way that would allow her to go up and down faster. "Ahn~" Moans and grunts increased their lust amidst the silence of the forest Soft undulations of water, splashing noises and kisses, entered Fayette''s ears as she leaned against a tree nearby, listening to everything and biting her lips, she didn''t scratch her itching waist, she... her it tightly. ''Get used to it...'' She took a deep breath and exhaled afterwards, this continued until a high pitched moan and a grunt served as an indication of a joint climax. Once again Vera felt herself get filled to the brim in joy with their lips wrestling savagely, she managed to catch a glimpse of Fayette coming through the woods and stopped with a gaze filled with apprehension. Valentine noticed her abrupt switch and followed her gaze. The blonde took out her skirt and bra, her tights still slimy and lusty, then entered the water. ''If we both keep pushing, there won''t be peace, so... I''ll stop pushing Vera, for the two of us.'' Her arms wrapped around Valentine and she bit on his ears licking further "Forget the previous rule... continue, let me join." It didn''t make sense to take a bath if she''s going to get dirty anyway, Fayette didn''t have nearly enough with a single round. Vera smiled and caressed Fayette''s face from the other side. "Thank you... I know you''re working hard." "Yes, thanks, Faye." He turned around to kiss his woman, what she''s doing is something that Christine and Francesca hadn''t accepted, she''s going along with his selfishness, he might make those sarcastic comments, but he''s aware of the effort she''s pulling to accept this. And it won''t go down the drain, he''s going to make the two of them the happiest women alive or dead... "Hmph! I just love the chemistry that the three of us have... and by now I know... this rejection is not coming from me... I can''t explain it, forget it... talk less and thrust more!" "W-Wait, I''m still sensi- Ahn!~" ... In the end, the lake wasn''t enough, carrying two naked yet to be satisfied beauties who greedily kissed him, Valentine made his way to their new house, it has yet to be finished. Yet already high demand. Chapter 86 - Complicated Neighbourhood I His eyes regarded the skies, a pair of sleeping beauties in his arms, flushed against his body and sleeping soundly with satisfied sighs, the perfect epilogue of a delightfully carved passionate evening. He didn''t sleep, guarding his two girls against the dangers of the forest, his ruby knife was in close proximity and Vera had also left her Rose Eagle Torn close enough to engage immediately were it needed. But the three hoped that no such events would take place in this misty night with shining moonlight. ''Perfection...'' He sighed, feeling that even on the Earth he never felt this satisfied and complete, perhaps when people said ''materialistic'' things aren''t important, they were right... he''s currently in a house that doesn''t even have a roof, and he''s happy... were the rain to fall in them, they would soak in it, but they would soak with content smiles. Without anyone noticing and with the three moons shining through the tree branches as witnesses, he took out the ring and slipped it in Fayette''s wedding finger in her left hand. ''Don''t let your left hand know what your right hand does...'' He''d rather do it this way. He''s enjoying his time with both, loves the two of them, but Fayette is undoubtedly the Queen of his heart, Vera is aware, but he wants to keep things as calm as possible, the first time being in a relationship with two women at the same time, he''s bound to learn while applying what he knows. The other thing he inspected was the badge given to them by Warcroft, this badge that supposedly represents their status as protectors. ... When it was already late enough and the girls had yet to wake up, he slipped out of their embrace, they''re going to be hungry once they wake. The thing is... he doesn''t want to just go and hunt leaving them alone here, naked and open for anyone or anything to attack them, his worst fear is that there is some kind of mutated monkey in this forest... those creatures would be able to easily crawl on the tree and into their house. He dressed up and threw some clothes and rags on top of both his girls who were seemingly too tired to notice his absence. "What to do...?" Miki and Teddi were sleeping down there, not having gone through any issues in the night apparently. He jumped down and landed not far away from them. ''My physical strength has increased a lot, before, I wouldn''t be able to pull out that jump so easily.'' "Miki..." He caressed his magma bear''s head and she raised up with a brief growl, ready to rumble with a hungry stomach. "You''re ready aren''t you?~" She growled once again and Teddi woke up, releasing a small hump and laying back down. "Take care of them while I''m gone Teddi, if anything happens, just growl loudly." The lazy callisto bear dropped on her stomach, his only reassurance was that her eyes were regarding everything, she didn''t return to her slumber immediately. ''That''s something...'' Mounting Miki with one of the demon''s spears in hand, they set off to do some hunting and reconnaissance. He''s unclear of how wide this forest is, the location of the entrance they came from had already been marked through the trees, they had a cross mark and a sign, a general practice of chartism. That way, so long as they saw those marks, they would be able to tell not only if they were in front of phenomena like the alleyways, spatial phenomena, but it would also indicate where traps, threats or particular locations were. He didn''t intend to be away for more than an hour and hence, they hastened and didn''t act lowkey, Miki''s size gave him confidence. His main objective was to move around the origin of the lake, with water around where the beast is likely to dwell around and hunt. He hadn''t been wrong, shortly after, he spotted what resembled a puma, but... worse. The size was only several inches smaller than Miki! And Miki is LARGE! *WOOSHH!!* Witnessing the threatening volcanic bear, the puma whose skin seemed to be a mix between a puma and a porcupine started to act all furtive and conceal itself with the shadows, but it wouldn''t escape their sight. *BAANG!!* Miki didn''t beat around the bush, she immediately spouted a mouthful of Lava towards the creature! !!!! Valentine panicked for a minute, now knowing if such an action would light up this entire forest in fire, but as the magma consumed the soil, no wildfire was produced, the Puma dodged swiftly, moving at a speed ridiculous compared to its size as if gravity wasn''t a thing, he knows that he has a greater advantage by staying on Miki, taking the reins he charged forward spear in hand hoping that the ''needles'' attached to the Puma weren''t as sharp and wouldn''t release themselves like that of a porcupine. Thankfully, that was the case, attacking it isn''t simple, but the Puma has a big weakness in its head and its needles also can''t pierce through Miki''s tough skin easily. ''What a catch, we can make arrows with those!'' While charging the spiked the Puma several times while evading the ridiculous claws, Miki resulted injured at one of the swipes, she sacrificed her well-being to give him an opening, after both she and the puma crashed into one another, he jumped and sink the spear deep in the Puma''s eye, going as far into the brain as possible. *WOOOSHH!!* *BOOOOMM!!* A torrent of blood was released as the mutated puma fell limb on the ground. "Ufff..." He cleaned his forehead and regarded the dead corpse of the puma while Miki started doing her ''business'' she didn''t need his confirmation and started to ''ravage'' the corpse. "Good job, Miki." He said with a proud smile and the bear only grunted slightly with its mouth filled with the flesh coming from the Puma''s stomach, the place that had no needles. She''s having her fill and he doesn''t mind leaving her to eat as much as she wants, this corpse alone should be enough to feed them for several days before it starts to rot, he''ll make sure to use everything he can from it. Arrows from the needles, throwing knives from the claws, nails and utensils from the bones, even the blood could be used as bait for other monsters. His hand sank deep in the puma''s brain and he extracted a relatively big piece of bloody core. Valentine regarded it for a few seconds, thinking on whether he should give it to Vera who is always hunting them but... he decided to eat it. *MUNCH!!* !!! It tasted horrible as ever, but... he continued to eat it, they have to become stronger and so far, this is the only idea he has... Vera is turning stronger by doing this, so, they must be able to get stronger as well by eating these cores. After Miki had her fill, she carried the corpse on her back and they walked back to their camp where surprisingly, Vera and Fayette were still asleep! ''Lazy bums...'' He sighed and started to grill some meat for them and himself, making sure to do it close enough to the tree. Miki went back to sleep while Teddi had some fresh meat as well. Fayette''s nose was the first one to get ''funny''. She started to smell something wonderful and her hands wandered, finding a pair of breasts but obviously, they''re too big to be Valentine''s... the blonde bombshell aka lazy bum number one, shamelessly stood up after having slept like a log and stretched her delicious body before making her way to the edge of the foundation, beneath she saw her man cooking and she recognised that indeed. It''s time to wake up. But waking up wasn''t enough. She started to shake the salivating Vera, "Hey, Vera... wake up, it''s time for breakfast." "Umm, a few minutes more~" Vera wasn''t in the mood to wake up, she turned around to hug her pillow in the form of Valentine and didn''t find it, pouting slightly, this didn''t deter her from going back to sleep pillow or not. Fayette rolled her eyes, "Your call, that means more for me~" ... "Dear! I''m coming!" There is nothing sweeter than a beautiful lady who just had a satisfactory bout of lovemaking, she overflows like mellow honey. The beauty landed beside Valentine who was in the process of munching some barbeque, he pinched the pieces of meat in sticks and did several dozens of them grilling them atop a pile of scalding rocks impulsed with sollux inflammable liquid. "Morning, did you sleep well?" They gave each other a few pecks and she sat beside him now dressed up. "Like a log~ thank you, did you find anything special...? aside from well, the obvious." Fayette took one of the sticks with her gaze fixed on the porcupine, to her it resembled more a porcupine than a puma, and that''s mostly because there are only bones left, Valentine had already separated the flesh they were going to eat for the next few days. "I didn''t see any of those goblins, but I found that puma near the river channel, I don''t think we''re going to experience a lack of food, but this is definitely not a place a common demon or human can survive in" He asserted, if an overpowered creature like Miki can still be injured... this place is not safe at all, it made him wonder how are Jurgen and Sophia faring. It''s not his business, mostly curious. "Delicius~ are we finishing the roof today?" "Yes, for the next few days we''re going to try and finish the outline of the house and make it secure, for some reason I can''t stop thinking about some mutated gorillas barging in..." "That''s your imagination running wild." "Say that after looking at that porcupine-puma... or at Miki, these creatures aren''t normal, Faye." He pointed at the two creatures, leaving the blonde out of words, she decided to just shrug it away, in truth just having a platform while sleeping directly beneath the moons was so satisfactory, that she didn''t want to place any roof in between, but sadly.... this is Hell, not Canada. Chapter 87 - Mahoganys Awakening I Amidst giggles and smiles, the trio finished their dish and responsibilities were laid down the table. "I''m going to keep building the house foundations, hopefully, finish the ceiling by today, you two can go with Miki and Teddi to look around and see what you can find, not so far away I encountered this puma, be careful... if anything happens... hmn..." Valentine thought about something interesting in front of the bewildered ladies. He drew off the badge and spoke. "Warcroft..." "..." "Warcroft, this is Valentine." He said again, and this time, there was a response. "What''s the matter?" A voice answered from the other side and the trio gaped like awed monkeys. It works! "Can we use the badges to speak between one another?" It was only a hunch initially. "For that nonsense... you''re contacting me?! I''m in the middle of my important moment, human!" The demon''s outraged growls resonated from the badge, lacking the might that would otherwise be released by his presence. ... "Are you jacking off?" Snickers became the norm. !!! "I''ll kill you bastard! Yes, you can! Now don''t contact me during the first five hours of the morning!" If not for the name ''Lucretia'' he''d be already flying all the way to the forest, to do what? self-explanatory. "Hey! Tell me how to do it!" Before the demon could retreat, their snickers ended and this time he asked seriously. "Just focus on the badge you want to contact, that person must have the badge close enough to them as well." The enraged demons restrained from coming all the way here to break Valentine''s legs and ''hung up''. "He''s a little irritated." The girls smiled and took out their respective badges, Vera saw the ring in Fayette''s hand, but she didn''t say anything. ... "Can you hear me?" Vera tried while focusing on Valentine with her sight. "No, nothing is coming out." "Can you hear me now?" Rather than focus on Valentine, Fayette closed her eyes and focused on him holding the badge in his hand. "I can hear you, Faye..." Valentine confirmed this is going to be extremely useful. Let alone the fact that they can speak to Warcroft indicates that the signal can travel through wide distances. They ran a few tests and all of them were positive, only a single test remained. With a wicked smile planted in their contours, they separated to do their respective responsibilities. "Yesterday when we just escaped from the demons, it was so scary... that was until I saw that demon''s face, I wanted to laugh so hard!" "Yeah, Warcroft looked like shit, I expected more from a Marques." "He''s such a hopeless beast!" "YOU MOTHERFUCKERS! IF YOU DON''T SHUT UP NOW!" "..." "As expected you can hear our messages!" "!!!" "Demons are so easy to mess up with... why didn''t you say this to us? did you think that we would divulge important information through this channel without being aware of whether you were listening or not?" "..." "We can''t trust in any demons... you''re all scumbags" He had purposefully avoided this detail just to spy on their conversations, disgusting prick. "Hmph! You know now, so what? I''ll still hear everything you say, so keep the channel clear." Warcroft hung up in his office with an irritated expression, his pen broke and the tense atmosphere in his office was highly palpable. "Those bastards are clever, from the start they already suspected I could hear their words, now they''re going to use the badges only when it''s convenient... it matters not, I''ll be aware of their movements either way." ** ** "Don''t worry, it''s not like we have anything to hide, just conceal the badges within the ring when we''re in our ''private'' sessions..." Vera shivered at the thought that someone had been hearing them all this time. "Hmn, I don''t want anyone else hearing us... do you think he?" Fayette agreed. "It''s not that simple, I believe we still have to activate the badge before it transmits anything until this is cleared, however, we won''t use them for our private matters, I''ll start in the house." Valentine asserted such, it seems only to work once the person is focusing on it, but he can''t be sure. ... "Then we will be off, alright? see you later Vale." Fayette mounted Miki and said that heading south, with her knives and bow. "See you!" Vera also mounted Teddi with her trusty knife. Both girls departed to chart the area further, hoping to have fruitful encounters, something Fayette wanted to get was animal skin for the furniture, like leather or perhaps even some lion''s skin, the girl has her priorities clear. Valentine remained to build the house, using the sword to cut timber to the perfect measurement, he had built mini-camps on the battlefield before, it''s one of the training his accursed father gave him, let alone he and Christine had built a house together with Francesca back in those days... Those days are long gone and the world is not even the same. But he has no regrets, everything happened the way it had to, and this is the best result. ** ** *FIIUSSHH!!* Vera''s Rose Eagle Thorn impaled the third goblin, she''s trying to look where these creatures conceal and come from, they must have some sort of cave, so long as they could round it up and raid it, who knows what kind of goods they could get, those creatures are smart and hence, think rationally and amas goods, be it food or treasures. Another thing dwelling deep in her mind was the in Fayette''s finger, the one she knew from the beginning doesn''t belong to her and even tried to constantly remind herself of this fact and still... it made her feel uncomfortable even if just slightly. "I know it''s you that''s doing this, stop messing around!" She yelled inwardly releasing a small bloody growl, not liking that her mind is being constantly influenced. ''HE''S YOUR MAN AND NO ONE ELSE''S THE SOONER YOU UNDERSTAND, THE BETTER!'' The Rose Eagle Thorn, a part of her doesn''t understand why this knife is so obsessed with Valentine, at first she believed due to the first time he used it to fight Bellcroft, but there must be something else, just... this accursed knife won''t answer. As she made her way with Teddi through the channel, she heard some rustling and gaped eventually. There she saw something that resembled one of those goblins, but way bigger! !!! ''What is that thing?!'' However, she didn''t see it doing the regular ''goblin-like actions, scavenging with a furtive demeanour, instead... the ''big goblin'' was taking some water and putting it in containers! A part of her felt reluctant for some reason, while the other part, the bloody vera seeking blood, convinced her to slaughter this troll. The latter side won the bet. *GROWWWLLL!!!* She held Teddi''s reins and commanded her with her knife in hand! Teddi charged with a bloody Vera regarding this troll deeply and the troll immediately grew alert and took the club that was laying on the ground. *BOOOOMMMMM!!!* Teddi crashed heavily on the riverside, producing a great splash of water as the Troll managed to dodge just in time... her second surprise arrived when she saw the troll start to flee, rather than fight... all of the goblins fight regardless of how bad the situation is. "TEDDI! GET HIM!" Sadly, the troll was too small to escape the callisto bear''s charge. *BOOOMMMMMm!!!* Teddi landed heavily on the troll''s back and crushed it, they were roughly the same size, but the bear seemed to be heavy. The troll struggled and elbowed Teddi on the head with Vera jumping to land on the Troll''s neck as it struggled. "..." ''Why? why don''t I want to kill it!?'' ''KILL IT!! EAT ITS CORE!!'' The Rose Eagle Thorn''s voice grew frantic. ''...'' She bit her lips further and her shivering hand held the knife while Teddi kept restraining the no-longer struggling troll. The sad and desperate creature turned around and they locked gazes for a moment, there was despair in there. "Go... Teddi, let it go." She jumped from its back and Teddi followed orders as well. ''NO!!'' The yells from the knife didn''t make themselves wait. ''SHUT UP DAMMIT! I''M IN CONTROL!'' Ignoring the Rose Eagle Thron''s babbling and just like what she did with Sasha, Vera followed her heart and allowed the troll to leave, it didn''t look back at her, rather... it ran away as if his life depended on it, the bloody aura of the Rose Eagle Thorn certainly causing nightmares in the untold future. "Let''s go, Teddi..." She sighed and held her itching tight, she''s by now aware that there are foreign forces in hell controlling their feelings, this itching and the dark thoughts, but for her, it seems to become more difficult to control her impulses every time. How long will it be until her will is corrupted by this knife? ** ** "You''re back, Vera, took you long enough..." Valentine was starting to get worried, she didn''t answer from her badge and also, she took longer to come here, Fayette arrived several hours ago. "Sorry, I was... thinking... something happened, there was a monster that I didn''t kill and perhaps, I should have..." She kept thinking about the incident, even if her heart told her to let the troll go, what if it came back with bad intentions afterwards? Valentine hugged her and the two of them listened to her story, looking at one another with a complicated gaze, certainly, none of them would have let the troll go.... but, Vera is just not like that. Chapter 88 - Mahogany’s Awakening II That day had finished without any recursive events aside from the troll issue, that night, as usual, they had their bout of passion like newlyweds in honeymoon but once again Valentine remained awake to make sure that troll wouldn''t come back again. The moons shone brightly in the sky with their yellow hue. He didn''t have that much visual of his girls, his mind is focused on the future, plans... Warcroft and what he would have them do, how they would prepare themselves for that, so on and so forth. It was then that he felt something tickling from Vera''s side, she had been laying against his chest with her leg above his crotch, crashing with Fayette''s. ''...'' initially, he thought she just moved and let her be, however, this proved to not be the case when he felt something else fondling lightly against the leg. ''W-What'' his thoughts were too ridiculous to express and hence, he tried to stand up and see what was going on, doing it lightly just so they wouldn''t wake up from their slumber. But he found himself locked in place! "Girls..." He called for them and struggled, only now he noticed there is something binding him! Vera continued to snore and smile to the side, he couldn''t see her face but she looks as if she was getting more and more comfortable against his skin. "Vale? what''s wro-!" Fayette felt his rustling and intended to wake up a little annoyed in fact since her sleep had been deep, but finding herself unable to move her lower body, she immediately panicked and looked for her knife. "VERA!!" "I-I can''t move, it''s like some rope or something!" The two of them struggled frantically, laying no results to their rustling, whatever this is, it''s tight! Valentine resigned himself to die with them without even knowing what the fuck is going on, he used all his strength just like Fayette to released themselves from the binding! *CRACK!!* Whatever was holding them cracked slightly producing the noise of wood breaking. "AHHHHHH!!!" !!! Vera yelled in pain at that moment, like the despaired wail of a beast whose heart is being mercilessly squeezed. "Vera!" The two of them struggled harder, thinking that someone is doing something to Vera but the latter kept wailing harder! "P-Please stop!!" !!! Valentine gaped and signalled Fayette to stop and it was then that Vera stopped yelling in pain. "W-What''s going on!?" The blonde didn''t understand anything, but Valentine recalled the girl''s sacrifice to save them and his heart immediately jumped in trepidation. ''It can''t be, can it...?'' "Vera, how are you feeling!?" He immediately asked, trying to bend his body as much as the roots allowed him. Yes, the roots of a tree. A Mahogany tree. "I-It hurts, just now when you..." Vera spoke from beside him, when the moon shone upon her body, he saw it... She still had that skin of hers, but several roots protruded from her body, the roots of a tree... they ran all over the entire foundation of the house trapping them also within their clutches, it''s madness. She''s a Mahogany Tree. "Calm down... Faye, it''s happening now... the cursed thing that Volna turned her into." He caressed the crying girl''s face and told Fayette to relax, at least they''re not under attack. "What will we do now? I-I don''t want to stay in one place like a tree!" Vera started to panic at the sight of her own body. It looks horrible how those roots protrude from her skin, is this how she''s going to look now?! Let alone those roots keep spreading and spreading as if they''re desperately trying to clutch her to a single spot for eternity. "Vera... this is what you are now, try to control it!" Valentine''s yells contained hope, believing that Volna hadn''t played them for fiddle, she hadn''t mentioned that the girl would be stuck in one place for eternity, moreover... Vera still has that seed that the tree wants her to drop somewhere, she can''t do so if she can''t move! Vera also thought about this and tried to remain calm, but the dark thoughts kept coming, however, an unexpected entity came for the rescue. ''It''s a mutation and can be controlled... just focus on your own body!'' !!! The Rose Eagle Thorn! ''W-What should I do!?'' Perhaps believing this ancient entity would have the answer to her current perchance, she started to ask for more assistance into how to control this thing while Valentine and Fayette waited expectantly. ''Those branches are your body... control them as if you were to control your own fingers to hold me and slaughter!'' ''Can''t you explain it better!?'' ''...'' Obviously, it can''t. She cursed inwardly. "The Rose Eagle Thorn told me that it can be controlled, please... give me some time, it called it a mutation" she reassured them first. "What did it tell you?" "That I can control it as if it is a part of my body, but... it''s difficult." "Take your time and focus... like this." Valentine, in order to assist her, started to touch her roots. !!! "Y-Yes, please keep doing that!" If she can feel something touching her actively, she might be able to sense it further. Valentine and Fayette started to touch whatever root they could and as a response, after an entire morning of practice, Vera rejoiced in happiness when she was able to bend some of her roots slightly to release them from their confinement. "This is incredible, i-it''s as if you''re a tree..." They touched her skin and the girl blushed, her normal skin still has its softness but the roots were similar to that of the Mahogany Tree they encountered before. "I don''t understand where are those seeds coming from?" She said and touched her own root, a weird feeling indeed to control her hands and the roots at the same time, but she felt them like sort of limbs on their own accord, a tree is not only encompassed by roots, she wondered if there was anything else she could do. "Let''s continue sleeping, that was sort of an unnecessary worry." Fayette sighed and lay back down, it was already time to wake up, but after such a frantic morning, none of them desired to do so. The bears were growling, clearly hungry. "Teddi, Miki, you go and hunt on your own!" Valentine and Vera yelled, today is one of those days where they won''t do anything and just stay in bed, the only thing needed is some relaxing rain, better not now. ** ** "My lord, do you need me for anything?" "The time in which Sinclair will send the weapons to the Soultorrent Trench is near, shortly I''ll need you to go to the Bloodmaiden Forest to speak with those mad lads about the mission, purchase some bombs and equipment for them." Warcroft sat on his desk, if one looked closely, there are several veins still popped from their ''joke''. "Are you sure you want to send them off by themselves in this mission? their numbers are great, were they to be captured..." Sandmortelle in his gree fire holographic self, warned his lord of the flaws in this endeavour... to a greedy demon like him, preserving the golden soul is paramount, nothing is equivalent to the value those mortals have, but... Warcroft has a vision. "They won''t, they''re strong enough to know what to not meddle with if it''s a mission they know they can''t accomplish, they won''t even try regardless of what I think about." He snickered, that bunch, aside from his foregone woman whose frame hung in front of his office, are of the most remarkable humans he has seen in his long life filled with wrath, scourge and war. "I understand, when should I depart...?" Aware that words wouldn''t deter him, the demon went straight to the main topic, his own mission which he''s already informed of. "Two weeks at most, we don''t have accurate info of when he''s planning to deploy the convoy, but, we know that he''s at least thinking of doing it." Sandmortelle didn''t bother asking the precedence of this information. "Is this to draw out Noble Faust?" Still, intentions were still within his realm of curiosity, greed for materials and greed for information encompass the self of a ''greed'' skinned demon. "You know it, that bastard won''t depart by himself, we must get ''daddy'' to recall him away if he sends Lot in this convoy and Valentine slaughters him, it''s going to give ups the edge we want to pressure Sinclair, I don''t desire any more of their disgusting influence in my city." He growled, this is his city yet there is a foreign influence in here, not only that, were he to go and directly slaughter the bastard, it would cause a political situation that would likely end with the end of his dynasty and reign in this city... moreover, there are some under his command that he can''t even trust... "A human, bearing the brunt of the strife between two Marqueses?" "He can bear to, he''s that strong and independent, otherwise, why else would I have chosen him as my city''s protector?" Warcroft sat comfortably, he''s not an Earl yet despite having the piece in his grasp, but... having between his claws an individual that two duchesses would fight to the death for, the feeling is certainly not far off. He doesn''t know what else Valentine Wagner has as even a golden soul is not enough to warrant two duchesses and even Lady Jezebel to involve themselves with him and even fight. However, he will know soon... this is no longer just about a golden soul, the key piece that he desires as arrived. And as he regards the picture of his late wife, he can''t help but sigh in expectation. Chapter 90 - Humble Abode *PHEW!* Fayette sighed and rubbed her sweaty forehead, Valentine had just finished the windows, they were barricaded with only minimum light coming through and he''s now building Vera''s pool. She had slaughtered so many creatures and taken their fur to replicate a carpet that she doesn''t know anymore, the house is just a massive room with a big bed filled with fur, several pillows and of course, more fur for the covers. There is an improvised kitchen that Valentine built with timber and she created some simulated grass in there with Vera''s help. Their house is finally taking form. How many days had it been, they don''t know, in order to rush and build everything faster, they worked overnight. Valentine was adamant in placing some traps but the girls insisted that he does so only after the house is finished, much to the burglar''s irritation, today is finally the day where he can start laying some traps and building a place for both Teddi and Miki. "It''s looking wonderful, now we have a bed, a sofa and a kitchen... what''s left?" Vera regarded their new lodging with happiness, to think that they have a house in the netherworld, who could have said? "I''m going to start laying down the traps~" He excused himself with a sword in hand while the two ladies groaned and saw how he mounted Miki and went away, presumably to get the race of the puma-porcupines extinct, they have an entire section of the house just for weapons and by now there are more than a hundred arrows made out of the porcupine''s needles. "Men..." "I want to try something, Vera, help me." "What is it?" "Do you think you can connect two trees together?" Fayette asked the beauty and Vera started to contemplate, for perhaps more than a week she''s been training and can freely move a single root as much as she wants. She extended her hand forward and a root started to protrude then she used said hand and pressed it against the tree''s stem, piercing it with her Mahogany root, the kind of tree she is can only be described as though, the root is invasive and she had already tried to pierce things with it. The root travelled across the stem and protruded from another side eventually connecting with the next tree. "Like this?" She asked Fayette, with this they have a ''branch'' they can use to go from one tree to another, but her idea goes further than that. "That''s great, but I want something else, try to make it so that the branch is beneath our feet, this measurement." She took one of the needles, marked with a determined measurement and showed it to her, what she wanted to do was a ''pathway'' between trees, basically, extend the house and allow them to go anywhere they wanted without having to come down, it would be useful if they ever were to face enemies on foot whilst in the forest. "I need you to cut it." Vera bit her lips, she had already gotten used to cutting down her roots, but... it still hurts. Fayette sighed and took the sword, the horntail is not strong enough to cut her root effectively. *SLASH!!* "UGH!!" Fayette held the panting Vera whose hand shivered, after cutting down the root, it didn''t wither, it remained in place, but the girl''s spasms served to tell that she hadn''t enjoyed the experience. "You alright?" She moved the beauty''s hair away. "Y-Yes..." The noise didn''t come out too convincing. Fayette allowed Vera to rest amidst the silence of the forest with only the noise of Teddi''s snores entering their eardrums. "We can leave this for later, there must be another way." If they went along with her plan, she''d have to cut Vera''s root over and over again. "No, let''s do it! I know I can do it!" "..." ** ** Valentine held his spear and went hunting, in the way he encounter their new friend, Lolo... that''s the name they had given the troll. The female was called Lola and the little kid, Loli. Yes, their naming sense is more horrendous than a demon''s visage, but beggars can''t be choosers. ... Although no communication flowed between one another, Valentine could readily tell that the troll has hunting experience, plenty of it. Despite its massive size, it could sneak and camouflage amidst the branches, using his skin to serve as a cover... his intent is to hunt more of those pumas in order to get more needles and create traps, he didn''t like the fact that Miki and Teddi were always left uncovered while they''re safely sleeping upstairs, if some monsters came in great numbers to slaughter them in retaliation, he''d be hopeless to do anything and only look like the bear that he came to appreciate, got murdered. As a preventive person, he wouldn''t allow such an event to take place and hence started thinking of what kind of traps he could lay against the greater foes... creating holes and concealed spikes were amongst his priorities. They hunted several boars and he''d allow Lolo to take them himself as they really didn''t need that much food, they also allowed several of them to escape, he stopped Lolo at the key moment by staying in between and shaking his head, unaware of whether the numbers of those creatures were extensive, if they were to go and slaughter everything in their way, there might come a time in which there are no longer preys to hunt. As they crawled furtively, awaiting one of those pumas that seemingly went extinct as he could see none of them, he saw a small clearing with a hill! !!! Valentine regarded several goblins in the entrance and they were guarding! "This is their hideout!" He smirked, Vera and Fayette had come several times trying to find this hideout, mostly due to the fact that the goblins are a threat to their supremacy in this forest, they''re intelligent creatures that slaughter everything in their way, thankfully, they''re weak, otherwise, the mess they would create would be greater. He didn''t have a way to tell Lolo to remain here, and the small hill''s entrance is not big enough for him to enter. ''Now!'' Valentine charged together with Miki and Lolo followed behind. The sudden commotion produced a torrent of goblins to come out of their cave with different weapons to fight, those are clearly forged weapons! ''As expected they have treasures in there.'' He smirked, the goblins are reckless and don''t even bother about numbers or whatever, they will murder or die in the process, hence, he has the advantage. Allowing Miki to do as she wanted, the savage bear crashed straight against the entrance, crushing several goblins in the way who attacked her but were unable to pierce her skin, she spewed magma on some, as they continued to come out in big numbers, at some point, there were more than thirty! *SLASSH!* Using the spear he impaled the head of one, swung it and crushed the corpse against another, swiftly murdering through the battlefield and creating torrents of blood. Red blood would shed these lands today. And he didn''t notice how the blood started to concentrate in one place... the more blood was shed, the bigger the lump. The Blood Maiden Forest is about to wake up, thirst for slaughter. Lolo also carried on the onslaught on his own, he had desired to get rid of the goblins but by himself, it''s impossible, now that he has an ally, his club won''t stop smashing skulls. *SLASH!!!* *GROAAWWLLL!!* When Valentine noticed, it was too late. A lady... one created with pure blood, wielding a gigantic axe equally made of denser blood, swung her axe without contemplation, and took away a massive chunk of Miki''s flesh! "MIKI!!" Valentine charged towards this figure with wrath, whoever this whore is, how dare she sneak like that!? *SLASH!!* His spear swung towards the neck, bisecting the bloody silhouette and splashing blood everywhere for blood is what forms its core and flesh. But... the figure was immutable, her axe changed directions and charged towards Valentine! !!! *BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!---- He managed to dodge just in time, but the speed is just ridiculous! The head of the lady reformed, she didn''t have any face, or eyes... but then, it contorted into something horrible as she approached Valentine! ''I knew this fucking forest wasn''t normal!'' That single exchange alone had him understand that there is nothing they can do to stop this creature! "MIKI!!" With the creature''s attention on him, he commanded Miki with his mind, the bear staggered and pushed Lolo away to the forest with a big hump, the Troll immediately understood the retreating signal while Valentine''s spear clashed against the Blood Maiden''s axe, resulting in his spear being cut into two... ''Ridiculous!'' With Lolo gone, he ran towards Miki, but the Blood Maiden followed behind, she wouldn''t stop until she swallowed blood! The blood of the surroundings all formed together into another figure of another lady, this time with a sword and the two of them charged towards the running Valentine and Miki! "What the hell is going on!?" Chapter 91 - Destroy The Curse, Lake Of Blood. Valentine and Miki ran for their lives those two maidens ran after them like furtive Ninjas, jumping on the branches and even catching up with them even as Miki''s speed is way faster than an average human! "SHIT!" He looked back and started to cut branches to slow them down, but they were as hopeless as eggs hitting a mountain. He considered whether it was a good idea to bring them to their house, they''re smart would they be able to crawl up the trees!? "Miki, change direction!" The bear heed his words and stopped heading back to the house, he won''t put his family at risk, he thought about something else. After running far enough, when he saw that no matter what he wouldn''t lose them, he bit his lips and jumped from Miki''s back. "MIKI, GO BACK TO THE HOUSE!" The moment he landed, that was enough for the two maidens to lunge at him ready to spill some more blood. *SLASH!!* *BAANGG!!* The axe and the sword hit a relatively close place to his neck, with the disappearing visage of Miki amidst the fog, he did a pirouette to stand up, only to get interrupted when one of the maidens kicked his chest with such strength that he was literally blasted against a tree! !!!! *BAANG!!*! He ducked that sword and used the momentum to slash through the maiden''s waist. *WHOOSH!!* Thankfully, physics did their job even if temporarily as he had hoped, the top part of the maiden fell, no longer attached to her body, but the other one with the axe came forward indenting to take on where her partner had left. Valentine evaded once again and ran to the nearest tree, taking advantage of the small gap he had obtained. *SLASH!!* Just as he began to crawl up, the maiden''s axe nearly busted his calf! Those women are too violent! *BAANG!!* *BAANG!!* He crawled up the tree while the two maidens continued to slash the sword and axe against it madly, they''re really out for blood and wrath. *BAANG!!* *BAANG!!* "For God''s sake, there is not a single place in this damned world that''s normal" He panted after reaching a branch, aware that any moment now this tree is going to crumble if even by the sheer strength they''re using to cut it down, he realised that not going back to the house was the best decision, their weeks'' worth of time would be erased by these damned figures, he looked down and one of them met his gaze with her gruesome expression that only continued to turn even worse, a contorted expression of worms coming out of eyes, transforming into livers and organs, the most horrible things a human could witness. Inducing fear and trepidation, but he knows better, having seen worse. Valentine turned around and stumbled when one of the particular hits made him know that the tree doesn''t have long to live. He jumped into the next tree just in time for the gigantic log to crumble down, he hoped it would fall on one of them, but given their composition, that''s likely not even going to work. ''What can I do? wait?'' He doesn''t even know where he is, can only hope that there is a tree nearby that has a mark in it belonging to them. *BAANGG!!* *BAANGG!!* *BAANGG!!* The two maidens started to hit the next tree relentlessly and he knew that they were not going to stop, what else can he do? just keep going from tree to tree? not effective. He made a decision, jumping from tree to tree, he tried to look for one of his picturing the trail he followed together with Miki to more or less calculate the way back, doing this for several hours, several trees had already met their end, but he found something... the river channel. ''Finally!'' He jumped on it from one of the trees. *SPLASH!!!* Falling heavily inside the river, his last hopes were placed in this, if not... then he''s fucking dead. "Valentine!!" Fayette''s voice resounded from the badge, it''s been several hours already, Miki is back and he isn''t her worried voice told tales of her aging hair and persona. "Faye, I''m in the lake, don''t come!" *SLASH!!* He evaded one of the swords of the maidens that entered the lake to plunder his life away, and the battle began. "What do you mean don''t come!! what''s happening!?" "I''m fighting someone! something!! don''t come!! no matter what don''t come it''s just going to make things worse!" If this method doesn''t work, Fayette coming here is no different than her coming to her death. "..." The woman reserved her right to speak and promised to scold him for always getting in trouble, there is not a day that he comes out and doesn''t get in trouble! *SLASH!!!* Wielding only half of his spear, he pierced the head of one of the mistress and impaled her against the water, while the other managed to score a hit against his ribs with the handle of the axe. *BOOM!!* *COUGH!* He spout some blood and noticed how that blood floated and moved towards them! "FUCK! WHAT ARE YOU!?" The battle continued, but he noticed that their movements were getting sluggish the more time he spent on the water with them, and the blood as he expected, started to disperse in the river. ''It''s working!'' He yelled and continued the onslaught until eventually, one of them dispersed completely, but even then those vixens were adamant in at least taking him away with them, the last one sacrificed her axe to regain blood in her body and lunged at him, pushing him deep in the water and intending to drown him! !!!! ''They''re that smart!?'' He punched her face several times as he swallowed water, but eventually what saved him was the river itself, she had to coat herself more on the water in order to finish him off and that was her doom. Her blood dispersed at that moment before he lost his consciousness, once again remaining silent. *COUGH!!* Valentine raised up with a headstart, compared to the Mahogany Tree, this is much worse... definitely much worse, he can''t even begin to believe that such a thing exists in this forest, what are the conditions? Bloodshed? His staggering body walked back to the house, his neck swollen from such a pressing. "VALE!!" Fayette and Vera were both walking back and forth, waiting for him to come, when they regarded his swollen neck, and the marks he received, they knew the battle had been fierce. In truth, the enemy is not difficult to handle, he had slaughtered the two maidens several times, but they would just come back... thankfully, the water served its purpose, that''s the only thing he could think off, if they''re made out of blood, the blood should slowly dilute its density in water. "That''s... some fierce opponent Faye..." He embraced his two women, for a moment where he almost thought he was fucked. "What happened exactly!? and why can''t we go!? how long are you going to do things by yourself!?" Fayette scowled with tears in her eyes, their relationship had changed and she noticed, before... she would brazenly run to his side whether he liked it or not, but now... if he said ''stay'' that''s because the best is to stay. Sometimes it''s better to not act rashly, otherwise, it would incur further damage, and she''s aware of that. "They''re some blood creatures, I can''t tell you exactly how it happened, I found the cave of the goblins with Lolo, they were more than thirty or perhaps even forty, we slaughtered them all, but then.... the blood started to morph into the form of some ladies with weapons, shit Faye, they''re strong... and even when you cut them down, they still come back, that must be this place''s curse... like the Mahogany Tree... they wouldn''t stop no matter what I did and were extremely aggressive." "You took them to the lake, right?" Vera furrowed her brows and caressed his swollen neck, they needed to get something for that, she brought one of the potions, but Valentine rejected it. "Let''s leave that for later, we don''t know if we''re going to need it, yes... I took them to the lake, they dissolved in there, but I was lucky." He sighed and took the two of them upstairs, feeling like having a nap now, he hoped Lolo would be okay. The three of them fell on the bed with both of his girls giving him a massage and checking him up and down, there were several bruises here and there, those maidens really ''roughed'' him up. "This forest is not normal, thankfully, that''s something that can be controlled, moreover... they attack those that attack them, not a preference... they attacked Miki, that''s right, give the potion to Miki, she was really hurt." He groaned while directly falling on top of Fayette''s body, never expecting that the little ''raid'' in the Goblin lair, would be so costly, however, the appearance of this Blood Maiden also gave him some ideas. He eventually fell asleep in their house, on top of Fayette''s chest. "We need to learn more about this forest, so far it seems like the perfect place to live, right?" Vera slumped beside them and spoke with Fayette, using a lot of sarcasm. Chapter 92 - Blood Maidens Curse It''s been two days since the blood maiden incident, Valentine woke up the next day in Fayette''s embrace. Vera told them that she had gone to Lolo''s house and he was okay, he reached the place safe and even gave her some boar flesh. The two girls guided him through their revolutionary cutting edge construction, several artificial passages across the woods where they were supposed to connect between branches and trees to have better mobility. "What is that?" He tilted his head in a marginal manner when he witnessed a certain slump of timbers pilled up together. "That''s a bicycle I''m creating" Fayette said with pride and obtained a deadpan from her companions. "Eh?" "Why do you want a bicycle when we have, Teddi?" Vera asked with furrowed brows, almost feeling outraged for her bear that was about to be supplanted by a mere wooden cycle. "No, it''s not created for riding, my intention is to create a mechanism with a bicycle as the engine to pump water back to the house from the small lake, that way, Vera''s pool will always be filled and we don''t need to personally come down to fill it back up again" Fayette puffed out her chest and awaited appraisal. It did come, Valentine kissed her hard while she received an embrace from Vera. The latter feels so warm over the consideration they''re giving to her new conditions, they surpass her imagination each time. "Good, now let me continue, it''s not like I expect you Neandertals to know how to power this thing up." The blonde continued her noble endeavour, taking her sword to cut some more timber according to the scheme. ... The pair stood up there, awestruck, not believing what they just heard. "You had to fuck it up, right?" Valentine groaned, does she think he''s from the caverns? of course, he knows how a flipping bike works! "Did you just call us stupid!?" Even Vera, the actual granny here, knows how a bicycle works! ... When the blonde finished her plans, the two of them were left stupefied, Valentine understood the plans, unlike Vera, who was awed since she didn''t understand all those glyphs carved in a wooden sheet. Valentine rubbed his forehead because he understood everything, and he was shocked at his girls'' intellectual progress, as expected from someone that comes from the future, the problem is... "How the fuck do you plan to build this!?" If she said she wants to build a space shuttle with materials in this forest, he might expect it to be more believable. Air pressure, vacuum!? how the hell are they going to recreate air pressure in here!? "I told you this is basic knowledge, you old dogs won''t know what this is all about, stay there in your beds like pussies while I work this out." She took Valentine by the chin and planted a mocking kiss in there before jumping down and landing on Teddi''s back, she set off. "..." "..." She''s flaunting her knowledge at their faces as if she''s slapping them with freshly fished tuna over and over! "What do we do? she just called us monkeys" Vera asked in resignation. The house is nearly done, they have food for the next few days, the only matter they haven''t yet been able to resolve is refrigeration and preservation of the food, they didn''t have electricity or salt. If Fayette thought of something with what they have, he might as well spear his own brain for being so useless. "What do monkeys do other than eating bananas?~" He pulled her against him with a wicked grin, she understood his intention right away when a pair of rough hands grasped her plump cheeks. "I-I don''t know... wanna teach me?" She felt desired yet again and hence, her body reacted accordingly, ready for impregnation, even when they do it daily, she''s still overjoyed each time he''s proactive since Fayette dared to act all scientist and mighty, then she can go and work while they have fun. "We can try and learn more about this power of yours, but... before that..." He lowered her shirt, giving way for one of her breasts to show up as she bit her lips and sought his. "Monkey see, monkey wants~" ** ** When Fayette came back with Several wooden logs expertly crafted, she found Valentine and Vera training in combat, but... the latter is using her powers. She had both arms covered in roots in a way that resembled drills, no doubt Valentine''s idea. *BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!* Vera''s fist impacted against a tree, creating a big shockwave but as a consequence, her arms were numb. "You need to control it better, the roots are heavy and hence they will give you more momentum, try to not strike unless you''re certain of connecting." The two of them had moved across several ideas, plenty. This is the fifth so far, her power made it incapable of producing sharp weapons, only blunt weapons like a hammer or these ''gauntlets''. Fayette ignored them and went straight to her own business, taking the logs up with the improved pully they had created, she''s more than aware of their little affair, but it matters not, she can get it whenever and wherever she wants, it''s their special rule, like newlyweds, if anyone wanted to ''climax'' and requested assistance... there wouldn''t be denial. "I think that''s good for today, let''s try something different, I want you to spread your roots through the ground, and take my legs, alright?" Valentine suggested, her powers are still several degrees out of scope, but their usage is proven with harsh work and Vera''s patience. The roots are heavy and not something her physical strength can take easily. They had already tried covering her in an ''armour'' of roots, but it''s not easy, she can barely stand while carrying that weight. "Ah...!" Vera nodded and tried it, the problem is... if she does this, she can''t move. Her roots slowly but surely spread beneath the ground and entangled Valentine''s leg, he tried to break free and expected, it wasn''t easy. The tree''s expansion is slow and steady, but once it gets you, you''re not escaping it, that''s just how efficient it is into entangling whoever it captures and they had proven this correct when they were captured by that creature in the alleyways. "Try to create another, then we''re going to test how far you can cake it, okay?" He asked lightly and felt how another one of her roots entangled his leg but they didn''t stop there, they went further up, having him frown slightly. "Um..." Vera smiled and did as he asked thinking that Valentine is an excellent teacher, it made her want to... give it another go, of their earlier ''activities''. She actually lifted him off the ground and carried his body all the way to her front while Valentine smiled, what a useful power this is. When their lips met, he had been literally floating, held by her branches. "I love you." She said offhandedly, completely impromptu. "... me too, you don''t know how much, when we have a chance, I''ll give you a ring, alright?" Pulling her within his embrace, the roots of a Mahogany tree connected their bodies while overflowing feelings permeated in the heart, cloudy like a foggy wall, physical as the strongest metal, palpable like the touch of a mother. Present as the love they share. ** ** Far away from the Blood Maiden Forest, the trio inhabits, en-route to the Mahogany Devilish City, way past the land of the forest worms, and the barren tropes of doom, a city withheld its wicked self amidst the bloodshed within its borders, a pro-violence city, a city in which murdering, slaughtering, plundering, abusing... both Humans and Demons alike, is allowed. The festival of blood and livers is yet to finish and the Marques of this city regards everything with a cold gaze while behind stand several subjects. "When are we sending the troops towards the Evilborn Trench, that bastard Warcroft is weak and limb, we have gotten the reports that Lady Jezebel fought someone in his territory, several Demon Soldiers have perished, but they were from Gleipnir''s side... my son is still in the city, but he has noticed the progressive decadence of Warcroft''s influence, soon it will be time and I don''t want to be left unprepared when the time to invade comes, I want his head, understood?" "Yes, my lord... it shall be done as you want." "Father..." "You''re not going this time, son... Manson." "Yes?" "I want you at the front of the convoy, the weapons must be delivered without delay, understood!?" "It shall be done as you want, but..." "Yeah yeah, don''t forget who you serve, bastard..." "Of course~ I''m the Burning Wrath City''s humble protector, I will never betray that city that has given me so much... fun~" The man licked his lips and departed, intending to have some fun before starting his mission. The wails of humans and demons alike wouldn''t ever stop in this city, as long as pitiful humans keep appearing here to appease the demons'' urges for violence, as long as this profane existence keeps enjoying himself with their despaired shrieks. As long as it was a pro-violence city, the status of the original netherworld. Chapter 93 - Invisible Fortress. It has been two weeks after they arrived at their new lodging, and what initially was believed to be a house, turned into a fortress, an invisible fortress concealed in the woods, Valentine had set traps... Lots of traps intended to destroy the lives of every single creature that dared to do so much as to intend to ambush Teddi and Miki. He had built a small hill made of timber and rocks coated with the fur of beasts with soil above to conceal the smell of the creatures within, resembling a small cottage. That way, not only would their presence be concealed from the predators, they''d also have a wall of protection with spikes, it''s amazingly prepared with the intent of drawing out blood. The bears didn''t have an idea of the degree of protection they now had, they only cared about food, but Fayette and Vera were quite appreciative of his gesture, however, wasn''t the only trap he had set. Spikes, big holes he dug together with Miki, gigantic rocks hanging from the trees to squash invaders, ropes to pull them up, arrows that released themselves at the briefest touch, poisonous plants coating the exterior of the building together with spikes... you name it. Whoever dared to step near this place, poor him/her/it. There was a small wall made of soil in the perimeter, the spiking head of animals and goblins intended to deter anything that dared approach, and the girls confirmed... it''s ominous. Valentine fell on top of his girls'' bodies, utterly tired, Warcroft said that tomorrow they have to meet with one of his underlings for the briefing of the mission. Both of his girls hugged him tightly, they hadn''t been idle either, transforming the original house into a floating palace in the woods thanks to Vera''s power. This is their ''little'' HQ and centre of operations. "Did you have to go that far? how many traps did you set up?" Fayette caressed his hair while Vera kissed his cheeks, he had worked too hard. "Yes." He doesn''t even know how many he made himself, those traps are mostly laid on the ground with an underground trench for Teddi and Miki to leave the perimeter without having to touch them. Upon hearing his answer, the two of them smiled while he raised up slowly and started to trail kisses up Fayette''s chest. "Why?" She moaned slightly, feeling that he was getting a little fun out of the sudden while Vera giggled. "I don''t want anyone to take this peace away from me, if anyone dares approach, it will perish." "W-Wait before we go further, how are we going to do tomorrow?" She pushed him slightly, aware that once they begin, they won''t finish until the next morning only to hurriedly wake up like a jobhunter going to an interview. "This is going to be our first mission..." Vera said with some apprehension, not knowing what to expect, they truly didn''t have to follow on with what that demon said, but it''s better than actually rejecting the orders of a Marques, let alone, the status that''s being offered to them, she knows very well that it''s extremely useful. It''s not something they can afford to lose as the intention of remaining in these woods permanently never crossed their mind. "Yes, we''re going to be alright, having done harsher stuff through our journey, so long as we can accurately plan for what''s to happen, we will be okay." He assured them a fondled Fayette''s breast through her bra, a little harshly... so much work got him in the mood. "Hmn~ b-but, don''t you think he might be planning something beneath the surface?" "He surely is, but we have no way to tell, we don''t know why Lucretia is after us, why Sasha was after us... why Warcroft is after us... it seems a little far-fetched to think that it is just because my soul is golden... our yours, but we can only go on and start to learn from this netherworld as much as we can, it''s an extensive world, the first thing we need is a map and a briefing of the political situation, if he''s sending us to slaughter someone or to rob someone, that means there are parties with interests involved." The one to speak all of this was surprisingly Vera, it popped a smile out of Valentine and Fayette, it means that she''s highly conscious of the situation they''re at. "Your ability is something that will come extremely handy... I already have some ideas myself." He had been desiring to get stronger, not because he was weak, but because he can no longer rely on his agility and intelligence alone to survive. The thought of one day losing these ladies and this life is eerie and he will do anything to become stronger and prevent it. And the first step to that, are those Blood Maidens. He hasn''t mentioned this to the girls, but thinking about those blood maidens and about Vera''s ability, he couldn''t help but think whether he could somehow benefit himself from this situation, what if he can obtain a mutation as Vera did? ''If I can find the core of this ''curse'' then perhaps... they could give me some odd ability to get an edge.'' There are so many use cases for Vera''s ability that he can''t even count them. "Tomorrow we''re waking up earlier and waiting for that demon in the same place, there is no oddity about what''s to happen, he or she will come, give us the mission and we''re going to survey our options to accomplish it after it''s done, we come back here to live our lives and that''s all..." With nothing more to say, he placed one of his hands on Vera''s plump chest while sinking his lips deep against Fayette. He can''t have enough of their bodies. ** ** "I love this pool you guys made for me~" Vera jumped on the empty casket to the corner of the house, there was a complex mechanism with several hollow trees stems that went all the way out of the house, connecting each other with some sort of goo made with plants. Fayette had thought this through from the beginning. "I did." Before Valentine could ever dare to claim ownership, Fayette growled, those two didn''t believe in her vision, but she had accomplished it. She had successfully produced a mechanism that would extract water out of the lake and bring it to them in here, it was revolutionary, at least for the pair... for her, those were like gimmicks from cavemen. "Yeah, yeah you did, since you did it... how about you pedal~" Valentine once again mocked his pseudo-wife, her arrogance would one day be her doom, he embraced Vera inside of the tub. "Dammit." Fayette, as the engineer, had the responsibility to check that her creation worked up well, the confidence she had plenty... the naked beauty got on the ''bycicle'' and started to pedal, thinking about what could she do to make this seat more comfortable for her big butt. Her movements slanted the gaze from the pair, her breasts wiggled, still sweaty and they gulped and evaded the sight of her tempting body, they can''t get horny now, there is a meeting soon. Fayette chuckled and turned her movements even more brazen as a form of vengeance. Her pedals incited the start of a rotor that worked with strings, producing a fire after several clashed together in sparks, lighting up the sollux that was prepared beforehand. The fire upon touching the logs would get rid of the air inside the steems that were connected with a goo made out of plants and soil, producing a vacuum that pulled the water out of the lakes in a steady form, it wouldn''t only be pulled out from the lake, it would also heat up along the way. Eventually falling in the pool... it had to be changed often, as it would naturally get dirty from usage. She had to pedal for a total of thirty minutes in which Valentine and Vera switched several times, they had already run a trial, doing it manually would take at least forty minutes with the three of them together to fill up the pool, and the water wouldn''t be hot... hence, the method worked and Fayette got her fair share of kisses and praise. "This is life." The trio lay on the edge of the pool inside their own house with several small candles that burned wood particles and plants, they couldn''t believe this is hell if not for the red sky and the two moons shining above with yellow hues. "I love this, can''t we stay like forever?" Vera released a sigh, feeling the water nurturing her skin and tree-self. Fayette said no word, she just lay against Valentine with her head on his shoulder, feeling like they could sleep for yet another day. "I''ll make sure that we can stay like this, forever..." He said confidently, never feeling like there was anything he couldn''t accomplish, especially now that he feels happier and fulfilled than when he was back on the earth. Kissing both of their foreheads, he thought about his ''previous'' life, living a life for the sake of vengeance, destroying his own happiness for the sake of a mirage delusion, slaughtering his father. In the end, he didn''t obtain his well-deserved vengeance, he didn''t slaughter his father, forsook his relationship with Rose and ended up here, but perhaps... everything would have turned for the worse otherwise. Had he gone to the heavens, he wouldn''t have met these two ladies, it has been harsh and painful, but it has been worth it. ** ** Valentine dried their bodies after they finished scrubbing each other, there is no such thing as grass, just leaves. They wore their usual combat attires, they were cleaned and tide up, props to Vera for doing the laundry, even if they''re in hell, basic customs shouldn''t be postponed. "Let''s go..." Wearing their cloaks and weapons, they scurred beneath the tree back to the small hill where Teddi and Miki were, in order to come out of where without triggering traps, they had to go through a small underground tunnel that Vera assisted caving with her roots, he had thought everything through, this is not a house, this is a fortress Chapter 94 - Stratagem Of Victory They wandered across the foggy forest for the briefest while until reaching the end of it, the limitation with the barren land, from there, they saw the image of a demon walking slowly, so slowly and ominously amidst the gales of dusty sand. Green skinned demons with robes that they could recognise very well. The demon they have ''scammed'' Sandmortelle. He walked through the desert with steady steps as if it was his backyard, they know this is a Demon Magistrate. *WHOOOSH!!!* It was at that moment that they gaped from their spots, the demon flickered to the side seamlessly and a gigantic worm came out of there with a vengeance, this is the first time they have seen any of those worms. The demon, that bastard... his gaze was fixed in Valentine as if he wanted to slaughter him all the way from the Pacific to the Atlantic. The worm bent threateningly and intended to lunge at the demon with greed, its size similar to that of a big bus standing vertically. *BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!---------- But the moment it lunged, Sandmortelle simply evaded once again as if he was unconcerned, the worm crashed heavily against the ground, twisting and turning, it was then that the green-skinned demon turned around and prepared his fist. *BAAAANGGGG!!!!* !!!! With a single fist, the worm''s head exploded in a gargantuan mess of flesh and matter that coated him and the desert, releasing an eerie bloody mist that left the three of them awestruck. ''WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE IS THIS!?'' Is this the power of a Demon Magistrate!? That''s what they believed, unaware that this individual is in fact... a Demon Count. ''How can a demon with such a relatively small frame, destroy such a gigantic worm with a single fist!?'' Sandmortelle''s claw-like hands penetrated the skin and tore it apart until he entered the body of the worm, for several seconds they just saw him get in the worm''s corpse until he eventually came out with something in his hand. A big core that he was munching, his skin no longer resembling the green it used to be, now... it''s crimson red. "We see each other again, humans... a disgrace may I add." He said, standing at a relatively safe distance. "Sandmortelle..." Valentine would obviously not forget this demon from the shop, the one that tortured him back then with only the intention of getting to know what rank is his soul, all for nought, if he''s Warcroft''s subordinate, he must know. "If you''re wondering why I''m standing so far away, that''s naturally... because I don''t want to lose sight of my objectives at this instance and slaughter the three of you, I''m afraid... my lord would take my head the moment I came back..." Sandmortelle finished ingesting the last piece of core and smiled ''politely'' to them as the same vendor they had met that time, except that now... he''s coated in blood. "Just state your objective." "Yes, that would be for the best... you see, a convoy coming from the Burning Wrath City, an enemy city... is coming towards the perimeter of our domain, it carries weapons for an army that''s been assembling in the surroundings of the Soultorrent Trench, here... you have a map, this is going to be important for you." The man took an ancient scroll and threw it towards them, torn and in a bad state, but the information within was still clear. Valentine and Fayette''s eyes shone when they saw that scroll, a map! This could be considered their wet dream for the longest while. "You''re in the Blood Maiden Forest... the convoy is coming from the Burning Wrath City to the Soultorrent Trench, we don''t know the exact date of departure, it should be between today and the next ten days... your objective is to slaughter the son of Marques Sinclair... that''s your primary objective, it doesn''t matter if you don''t do anything else, the son of the Marques should be there, his appearance depicts him as a Royal Demon, but he''s a useless bastard that''s barely about to turn into a Magistrate... if you manage to achieve this and still live, then you can plunder the entire convoy to your fill" The demon spoke with disdain as he didn''t care whether they died or not... but he does. "How strong is it, if he''s as strong as you, it won''t be an easy thing to accomplish..." Valentine spoke solemnly, how the fuck are they supposed to kill someone as strong as him!? "He''s not as strong as me, you don''t need to worry~ but... he will certainly be stronger than Bellcroft, with that said, here you have some equipment..." Some things started to materialise in his arms, likely using a ring similar to what Fayette has. He threw several bombs resembling the ones they had seen Jurgen use, also, the ones Vera used to fight the Mahogany Tree. "The convoy should be containing, weapons, explosives, sollux and plenty of souls, wrath onyx, is the currency of the Burning Wrath City after the mission is done, communicate it to my lord through the badges, I''ll come to pick up some of the goods you plundered, supposing you''re still alive~" "..." "I''ll excuse myself then, I ''pray'' for your success, humans~" The demon walked back and after disappearing for a certain distance, his figure just vanished in the gales of dust and sand. "I think he hates us." Fayette started to take back the explosives and place them inside her ring for future usage, the mission looks, thrilling in her view. "He does..." Valentine sighed and took the map, this is going to be difficult, the first thing they need to do is survey the land, at least they have a map, without a map, this would be extremely difficult, but the man is a basic one, it has "Let''s go back." They need to have a meeting, mounting their bears they disposed themselves to return to their crib, time can''t be wasted especially since the convoy could just come anytime now. ** ** Reaching their house, they were met with the surprise that a goblin had fallen inside one of the holes while trying to sneak in. Valentine growled in annoyance, "Damned bastard..." Fayette patted his head to calm him down, they''d need to take the goblin out and replace the trap, were they to leave it there, it could escape and sneak inside. "Calm down, dear..." She sighed, with all the effort that it took him to create all this, it''s obvious that he wants them to be triggered by top dogs. She took one of her arrows made out of puma-porcupine needles, and blasted it inside the goblin''s skull... as for the corpse? Vera pulled it with her roots and gave it to Teddi. ... "We have explosives, but this map is inaccurate, it shows no relieve, distances or anything... we need to personate ourselves in the place and discover the best way to do it." Valentine placed the sheet on their table and it was then that they heard a few growls. "What now?" He rolled his eyes thinking that it was a threat. "It''s Lolo..." Vera recognised the voice of the troll, when they looked through the window downstairs, Lolo was waving his club back and forth, it seems he''s going to hunt and is giving them advice if they want to go with him. Valentine signed with his hand in a negative manner, they can''t go hunt anything now... Lolo sighed and left on his own. "It''s a convoy, but we don''t know the numbers... the best thing we can do is to have one of us go with Miki and peek on the perimeter of this burning craft city, we might be lucky enough to take a look at their numbers before they reach the place of an ambush..." Fayette asserted sagely. "This is for the best... right now we''re going to divide into two groups, I''ll go with Miki to the Burning Wrath City and squeeze myself trying to look at the departing convoy, or if they''re already in the way, to address the distance, I want you two to reach this region... use the badges" He pointed at a particular place that''s not too far from the forest and the Soultorrent Trench, it''s the vector that''s the closest to both places. "Head there get the sight of the place they''re most likely to go through, give the exact coordinates relative to the forest''s location and I''ll also send you their numbers, I trust you to make the right call, Faye." He glances at the two of them, he knows Faye will do the planning and Vera will support her. He prepared to depart straight away after giving each of them a deep kiss. "I will be careful... speak to us at all times through the badge, okay?" "Give me some of the bombs, I already have an idea in mind, if it''s workable, I''ll communicate it with you." "Hmn..." He nodded and jumped from the tree, leaving two ladies who only sighed, they already know him well enough to know that he is going to be okay. "Let''s go there straight away, Vera... we''re going to try to find a key location for you, your powers are going to be the key in this front, alright?" Fayette prepared herself as well, aware that they don''t have that much time to prepare. "Hmn!" Vera nodded with resolution and content, she knows that her powers as a Mahogany Tree are key for the success of this mission, aware that she''s due to stop the movement of the other party and manage Fayette and Valentine to get easier targets. Chapter 95 - The Mission I "I wonder if this is the right way, this damned map has no indication of north, south, east and west..." Valentine sat on top of Miki, fighting the gales of sand that rushed his way while paying attention to the ground, the last thing he wants is one of those worms devouring him of all things. He had saved not the map, but the locations of importance in his memory and had left the physical map with Fayette and Vera. His objective right now is to follow the most straightforward path to this ''Burning Wrath City'' and hope to not find the convoy already en-route to that Soultorrent Trench. Miki travelled at marginal speeds even in the sandstorm, getting her and Teddi is probably the best acquisition they have done together with Vera''s new ability. For most of the journey, his mind wandered on whether they truly needed to take on this mission, mostly due to the strength displayed by the Demon Sandmortelle... and also, Bellcroft. They''re to fight an entire entourage of demons, he already has a plan involving explosives, has total trust in Fayette and Vera and the badges as a communicator couldn''t make it any better, the problem is battle power. Even the best-plannified strategies could crumble in seconds in front of unparalleled power, but... the same is also applies the other way around, and in strategies, there has been a single individual who has defeated him. It might be arrogant, but Valentine is confident in the plan. It took him several hours before the outline of a city covered in sand from top to bottom showed itself, the Burning Wrath City. He had mostly used the reference from the directions obtained mostly referencing the travel with Jurgen and Sophia, thankfully, it had worked out. ''It doesn''t look as civilised as the Mahogany Devilish City... is this a pro-violence city?'' The several splatters of fresh blood on the sand destroyed architecture, slashes of weapons all over... corpses disintegrating in the mass of sand. What''s most amazing is that the majority of them are demons, leaving only the corpses of several humans behind, directly missing bones and chunks of the skull. He doesn''t even want to imagine what transpired here. This city is ''Hell''. Suddenly what he considered a devastating hypocrite city, paled in compression to the discovery of the authentic Hell. "Faye..." Now that he has reached the place, it''s time to see how the girls are faring. "Yes, Vale, are you okay?" He heard Fayette''s voice from the other side of the badge "I''m already regarding the outline of the city... didn''t see any convoy but I''m going to keep looking, you?" "I''m already here with Vera, there are several small hills, but the terrain is mostly plain, I don''t see a reason as to why they wouldn''t take a straightforward route, the only variable are those worms... if they know where those worms come up from, it''s different; they''re definitely going to avoid us if that''s the case." The blonde beauty asserted from the other side, he had expected there to be small hills in this desert, but it''s incredible how in this torrential never-ending sandstorm, that''s mostly the same... it never changes the relief? Oddities of the Netherworld mostly... "I doubt it, it''s an organism; not anything fixed and mechanical... it pursued us all the way from Mahogany Devilish City to the forest, but never came out. I suspect it''s related to the strength of the individual or better; the number of individuals" As he approached the outskirts of the big mural, he began to think of the strategy that they were going to use. "I think it''s going to be straightforward, Vale... my roots can sink easily inside this sand, and we haven''t caught the glimpse of a single worm so far, not even oddities in the sand, there is none." Vera gave her intel as well. Valentine started thinking about the code of action, what they''re going to do to ensure the success of this mission without any casualties, his mind took into consideration all the information they have. Fayette, Vera and his power. Miki and Teddi. Explosive bombs and smoke bombs. The sandstorm. The desert''s relief. Dust in the eyes... "I assume we''re thinking of the same thing..." Fayette said from the other side with a relatively alluring voice that made him stop in his tracks. "Oh?" He blinked once, is that the case? there are many possible stratagems that can be used to tackle this situation, but with the resources they have and the knowledge possessed, there is one that''s paramount, extremely efficient and cost-effective. "We love each other so much that it has to be that~ I know we''re in sync, right Vera?" "Hmn!" !!! "..." Valentine smiled and even heard the giggles coming from the other side coming from Vera, he''s tempted to think that those words were whispered by Vera to be relayed to him, that''s likely the case. He loves Fayette and all, but she''s not the kind of girl to say something so smooth. Her body IS smooth, her tongue is smooth, her wording? not so much, but the words had accomplished the objective with which they were uttered, sighed and concealed his expression from no one in particular. ''How low have I fallen that my girls have to compliment me and not the other way around...?'' "Next time tell that to my face~" He wouldn''t admit that right now, he''s blushing harshly, not in a thousand years... "Sure~" Fayette couldn''t see his expression, but she could feel it, it had been successful, a growling Valentine is what''s left of a fit of giggles from the other side of the badge communicator. They knew that Warcroft is likely hearing all this and, who cares? better that way, he will get annoyed and stop eavesdropping, or so they hoped. "What''s the plan then Mrs ''I love my husband''~" He decided to get serious, if they don''t do this well, then let alone spend a passionate night in their pool, they might not even return home. "It''s like this..." Both Fayette and Vera started to tell him what they had planned taking into account their inventory. With a famous tyrant Commander of the French Army, the Phantom of the Bolsheviks and the terrifying Bringer of Euthanasia. This plan is bound to succeed. ** ** Inside the Burning Craft City, unaware that a beast lurked nearby, a man spoke... the city''s atmosphere was eerily quiet, it''s a miracle that someone is not currently wailing in despair, but... this meeting is important and hence all executions were momentarily postponed. For a few minutes only. "Listen well you pigs! it''s time to leave and I don''t have that much time to spare with you bastards, I have skulls to crush, understood!?" "YES!" "Prepare the formation; don''t want to see anyone slacking with their guards down, whoever is not prepared for the incoming worms and a possible ambush; I''ll make sure to swallow your core myself!" A tall man spoke while standing straight with a war hammer on his shoulder, he loves smashing things, more than slicing, more than shooting, the sounds of the skulls being crushed without end excite him to the core! The protector of Burning Craft City, Manson, spoke to his entourage, a group of twenty demons and four demon soldiers... three cars filled with weapons, explosives, medicines and the current of the city, a convoy that has an increasing priority to arrive in the next two days without delay. However, the gaze of his subordinates is not that of respect or reverence, it''s fear. Because the man is coated with blood, from top to bottom... fresh from the same day and belonging to some of the demons from this very entourage that happened to look a little ''appetizing''. This is a protector, and one of the most ''humanitarian'' ones there is. Charles Manson, protector of the Burning Wrath City contracted by Marques Sinclair of the pro-violence faction. ... They departed the main gate, leaving behind a scared group of demons and a city filled with slaughter and dwelled in the midst of a chaotic storm of sand and dust, Manson was in the front, followed by two demons soldiers and ten common demons in armour. Followed by a vehicle that moved forward by being pulled by a Callisto Bear with a size at least half the size of Teddi, behind them came the second half of the entourage, two demon soldiers, ten common demons and another vehicle pulled by another bear. Manson paid attention mostly to the sand, "Don''t increase the pace, the last thing we want is to call the attention of any of those bastards, if they show up, engage at sight." The worms are attracted to waves of energy and power... so long as they didn''t make any major disturbance, they wouldn''t be detected, he''s been through this desert hundreds of times, living in this hell long enough to call himself great grandfather, crawling to the top leaving mountains of skulls, it didn''t use to be this fun back then. "YES!" The demons answered in sync as if the person leading is not a human... the netherworld is a paradise for the wicked, those that hold strength, those that know how to manipulate. A protector is just the peak of wickedness when the environment has set itself together to allow its growth. ''I wonder who is it that they''re going to send? Sinclair said it is likely someone is coming to disrupt us, a magistrate? even a magistrate will have it difficult facing this lineup.'' Manson was confident, overly confident. After an entire day of the journey, no shortcomings presented themselves, they should be there in three days at most and no worms are coming out to make trouble with them; no enemies on the horizon to perturb their ''peaceful'' delivery. Chapter 96 - The Mission II It was only after an entire day, that things started to get rough for the group, Manson stopped abruptly several kilometres away from the Blood Maiden Forest, after having slaughtered so many, there is a concealed instinct within the mind of a killer. The gales of dust still rocked the entire convoy as they awaited orders, the hazy figure of the Blood Maiden Forest in the distance together with a small hill that almost couldn''t be noticed were the only things within their sight; hardly difficult to notice a cloaked figure creeping up. "Something is not right..." His gaze moved to the sand, believing that it might be one of the giant worms, but they have literally gone a turtle speed and haven''t gotten the attention of any so far, so, how could it be? But his senses won''t stop ringing telling him that something is not right. As he stood up there, his gaze one again roamed to the sand, and then... he saw it. Steps on the sand! The heist started to abruptly that Charles Manson had a momentary lapse. "Care-!" *BOOMM!* *BOOMM!* *BOOMM!* Several metres away from them, three clouds of smoke exploded, the smoke seemed to lapse and didn''t get blown away by the gales, instead... it headed in their direction, but so subtlety and densely that it didn''t feel like a threat. "AMBUSH!" However, this unexpected event was enough to trigger all the demons that awaited orders, four demon soldiers and twenty common infantry units. They readied their weapons as Manson raised up his fist with a bewildered expression, that bomb of smoke, it''s too far away to even be a threat. They missed. "What a piece of shit... they can''t even aim properly." He snickered, obviously believing that whoever threw that had failed horribly with their pathetic aim. He was about to give orders for the convoy to continue as even with this degree of mediocrity; he couldn''t risk the safety of the convoy if the numbers were high enough on the other side, but so far... he can''t see anything. But with such a mediocre foe; whatever apprehension he had got blown to the underground. ... *BOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!* *BOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!* *BOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!* !!!!!! "WAAAHHH!!!" "W-WHO DID! AHH!!!" *GROOAAWLLL!!* !!! Devastation and Chaos. Bombs of smoke mixed with explosions resonated in the entire convoy, the ground shook slightly at the devastation, covered by a cloud of smoke all around, Manson grit his teeth and immediately caught upon the sight of someone far away, cloaked and with an arrow in her hand. "GO GO!! DON''T STAY-!" *FFIUSSH!!* The arrow travelled at an angle; taking the gales of dust into consideration; entering the clouds of smoke and killing the first demon on the spot by piercing its brain. *THUD!* The first corpse fell, several more to go. "WHAAAA!! I-I CAN''T MOVE! W-WHAT IS THIS!?" One of the demons was about to rush to the convoy carriage but found himself unable to walk... something restrained him coming from beneath! He didn''t have time to check, an easy target. The arrow went straight through the common demon''s head piercing his armour as the noises of a growling bear rocketed the cataclysm. *GRROWWWL!!!* A gigantic magma bear came out of the sand together with the gust of a shadow. Manson knew that whoever they were dealing with, it was not a pushover! He doesn''t know why they failed the first smokescreen, apparently, his mind is not fast enough to realise that the first smoking screen is coming their way due to the gales of wind. "LEAVE NOW!!" He ordered, not noticing how one of the individuals snuck inside one of the carriages while the magma bear distracted everyone, and placed ''some things'' inside of it. His work done, the figure flashed to the next vehicle while the roots entangled the weaker demons and arrows flew inside relentlessly, occasionally missing and hitting the neck, leaving them alive. They rained on the demons'' heads while the female kept firing indiscriminately, one after the other with sharp precision regardless of the target, as soon as they appeared from within the smoking screen, in her eyes, they were dead. The demons started to look for the cause of this onslaught, yells of pain ahd falling corpses are the rule, yet they can''t even see where the enemies are coming from! They can''t even have a vision of anyone except the bear of one of the carriages that is suddenly fighting another one of the bears... why?! Confusion turned into shock when the light unfolded Miki''s cloaked figure as one of the demon soldiers ran to engage her straight away as she fought several other demons, almost squashing them with a single paw. *BAANG!!!* His fist hit the bear, but Miki knew better than to stop. The shadow finished the most important part of the plan and flashed moved through the smoking screens and arrived behind one of the demon soldiers who managed to grasp one of the incoming arrows with his hand, he crawled up the wings and sliced the neck cleanly beneath the helmet. !!! "WAAAAHHH!!" "YOU MOTHERFUCKER; I SEE YOU!" Manson yelled and directly brandished his hammer heading straight to a single direction within the darkness! The other three demon soldiers started to move towards the source of the noise, one of their compatriots that had fallen miserably to his death, headless. *BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!--------- Manson swung his hammer blindly and crushed something, the noise of breaking flesh became apparent as he too staggered due to the heavyweight of the hammer! One of the demon soldiers got his head directly blasted by the hammer, rendering him heavy injures as Valentine took advantage of that, a great variable... but the gales of smoke are already starting to disperse the clouds of smoke and by then, it will be him against all these people. Several demons mounted one of the vehicles and came out of the clouds of smoke, intending to head to the destination by themselves, sadly... there is a blonde who''s pointing her arrow straight at them, better said, straight at the opened gate. *FIIUSSH!!* The arrow shot with something attached to it, something round and shiny. *BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMm!!!!!!!!!!!-------------- ''One down, the other...'' ... The explosion was so gigantic that Manson regarded it with stupor, those are the explosives that were together with the weapons and more than five demons perished there! "YOU BASTARDS! USELESS CUNTS!" He staggered to get his hammer back as Miki fought a group of demons, easily causing slaughter, another bear; callisto bear came from the sand, almost flying and tackled one of the small bears. Valentine''s figure was already visible in his cloaked self. ''There are eight demons left... and two soldiers, there is also this dude, I don''t see the objective.'' ''On it.'' *FIUSSH!!* *FIUSSH!!* *FIUSSH!!* "D-DAMIT! JUST CUT THIS DAMNED ROOT OR WHATEVER!" One of the demons yelled and tried to cut one of the roots that were entangling his leg before an arrow hit his head square, piercing the brain and ending his life. He didn''t manage to cut it, the Mahogany''s roots are though, but he cleaved a chunk of it... ''I''m going in! Vera!'' Fayette yelled through her badge and discarded the bow as she saw there were less than five demons remaining but Valentine''s cover is blown, he can''t fight all those demons soldiers alone, the first phase of the plan had worked wonders, but they didn''t expect the entourage to be this big. ''I''m okay, I''m going in too!'' Vera also decided that it would be better to just ''What do you mean you don''t see the objective!?'' ''There is a man here with a gigantic hammer, but the one you showed us, I don''t see him.'' ''Impossible... someone leaked the operation, DAMMIT!! DAMMIT!!!!'' Valentine had lost focus while listening to Warcroft''s maddened yells from the badge, Fayette and Vera had come out to engage one of the demon soldiers each while Teddi was stopping the last carriage from departing, hoping that the ''objective'' would be inside. He didn''t notice the hammer coming his way, thankfully, it was so slow that even in the abyss of shock, he still managed to dodge by a fair gap. *FIIUSH!* *BOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!- The swing was enough to create a shockwave that spread through the area and that shockwave... it would be followed by several smaller ones produced from the ''things'' crawling beneath. "I don''t know who you are but, you did it this time, pig." Manson smiled and regarded the foe in front, surveying the area, two of the remaining demon soldiers are engaging a pair of beauties while the other is fighting the bear, progressive getting into the losing end. The carriage is being stopped by one of the bears who is pressing the other tightly and there is no one to take it to the destination either. One of the others was blown to bits. Even if he kills everyone here, this mission is a failure. Valentine regarded the man in front, not recognising him at first, tattoos and the dried blood against the man''s dusty skin made it so eerie and unrecognisable that he wasn''t able to grasp the identity of the infamous man that he''d otherwise recall immediately upon witnessing such a horrible countenance. Valentine''s gaze moved briefly to the carriage, this is definitely not the man, so where is the objective. *RUMBLE!!* Heat spread from in front as fire enveloped the man drastically... it was so abrupt like a combusting propane tank! It''s a mutation like Vera''s! "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU''RE LOOKING AT!? FILTHY PIG!" Manson is furious, he had underestimated his foe, demons are dumb but the man in front not only is he, not a demon, but it must also be another protector! As the fire gushed out of his body, he brandished his gigantic hammer with way more strength than before, having Fayette and Vera at the distance to stop briefly in shock for a few seconds. Fayette is in contemplation of whether she should go and help Valentine while Teddi takes care of this demon; having her likely die as it is simply too strong or trusting that he would be okay, she decided to settle for the latter and dodged her foe''s attack in time. But... Vera shook in fear at the sight of fire, it stopped her movements and paralyzed her and that was a huge mistake. *FIIUSSH!!* The Demon Soldier''s halberd went for her head. *THUD* Her head fell, followed by her limping body. Chapter 97 - Blood Thorns Curse I Before the demon could even think about plundering the fallen Vera''s crystal, Teddi crashed so harshly against him that the two of them fell together! *BAANGG!!* "Vera!" Fayette grit her teeth noticing that Valentine was too busy to do anything and Vera''s current circumstances would just delay everything. *CLAANG!!* Fayette''s horntail clashed against her opponents'' weapon, the difference in strength so devastating that she was blown away, just like she wanted; towards Vera''s direction. "Go now!!" Manson yelled, with Teddi releasing one of their bears, they got the chance to at least take out one of the carriages. The demon soldier that had been fighting Fayette didn''t give chase, rather he flew towards the injured bear and mounted it. Fayette who just picked Vera''s head could only look hopelessly at how one of the objectives left, but from this distance, she could tell that the ''objective'' is not inside there. "Faye." !!! The head spoke! "Just put me back on my body! I don''t know what''s going on!" Vera yelled, not feeling any more pain, when her head got cut, she felt the pain but it only lasted so long... ''It must be another one of my ''characteristics''... I can feel the roots.'' That underside of her neck didn''t look bloody and gory, roots protruded out of there as if seeking the source. She''s a Mahogany Tree. While Valentine and Manson clashed in the distance with Teddi fighting a Demon Soldier and Miki another; Fayette stood in utter bewilderment with Vera''s head in her arms. After shaking her head to release the nonsensical thoughts, she regained herself. Fayette didn''t waste time as Teddi is clearly at a disadvantage and needs help; Valentine needs help against that bastard as well. She did as told and sought Vera''s body to ''re-attach'' the head to the body. The roots from the body and those from the head sought one another and within seconds, Vera''s head was back in place. "T-This is ridiculous..." Fayette gasped; for a sci-fi person like her this is nonsensical. One thing is to regenerate faster one''s wounds; another is that Vera''s body is some kind of humanoid tree at this stage. "Ridiculous but helpful; you go and help Vale while I assist Miki and Teddi." Vera growled, angry that the person that cut her head down had just fled. "I''ll chase after them afterwards." She confessed, no way she''d allow that bastard to escape with all those goods that they could brazenly use. "Do you know your way back to the forest?" Fayette asked first, just to make sure. "Umm!" "Then go, remember to speak through the badge!" Fayette didn''t stop Vera from going to do what she wanted, the recent events marked the belief that among the three of them Vera is the one with the least danger. ** ** *BOOOMMMM!!!* A blazing hammer impacted on the sand, but it was easily evaded by a nimble Valentine, when he saw what happened to Vera; he panicked, but at the end of the day she''s still eccentric, everything is looking great on their side, but the objective is not here. "You''re an agile bastard, tell me, who is your contractor? This is common practices between protectors!" The man brimming with fire knew there isn''t much time. And as expected. *BOOOMMMM!!!* Both of them had to jump when the ground collapsed to give way to myriad teeth. A gargantuan hideous worm, brown in colour, eerie to say the least, and he can feel there are more coming. The worm released a sort of high-pitched noise with both protectors focusing on it. Fayette continued her fight against the demon soldier and the two of them turned around distracted, but when she felt something beneath, the beauty gasped and jumped away! *BOOOMMMM!!!* "VERA BE CAREFUL!" The moment she released her yell of anxiousness, the worm came out of the sand with a head start and devoured the Demon Solider she had been fighting. *BOOOOMMMM!!* On Vera''s side the same happened, however, her opponent evaded as well. The Russian gal immediately commanded Teddi to take Miki away, they wouldn''t pay attention and would just engage their opponents. Teddi technically crashed against Miki and saved her from the worm that came out right at that instant, devouring their foe. "This is getting ugly! Faye, go together with Vera! run with Teddi and Miki after the other convoy!" Valentine yelled the moment his eyes witnessed all those worms together, this situation is going out of hand and if not controlled properly who knows what casualties might take place, Vera''s incident was lucky on their side; were she not a mahogany tree, just by losing her they''d be in big trouble. "YOU''RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" *WHOOOSH!!* Manson threw a barrage of flames his way, the more time passed his flames seemed to grow with more and more intensity, from orange, they turned crimson and caused cracks to spread across his body. Valentine had to roll out of that one as the worms were in the process of seeking a new target while two of them focused on ingesting their ''meals''. "What about you!?" Fayette and Vera yelled simultaneously, thinking that the bastard is yet again thinking of sacrificing himself for their sake, nothing farther from the truth. Valentine trusts his women with his life. "I''m killing this bastard! now I know who he is, I''ll catch up... make a lot of noise and have some of the worms to tail on you!" Manson''s identity is only the least of his concerns, his true target is that fire... he wanted them to attract at least two of the worms, surely they''re faster by mounting Miki and Teddi. He immediately ordered Miki to follow Fayette''s orders and prepared for a massacre. "Got it!" The two girls, now cleared, prepared to run towards the carriage that had already departed, but Manson wasn''t about to allow them to escape, he refocused on them rather than Valentine and prepare to throw his massive hammer at them! "Where do you think you''re going!?" But the Bringer of Euthanasia also wasn''t about to allow them to be disrupted, he jumped with the intent of staling him, but an unexpected object came his way from Vera! "VALE! HERE!" A big bloody knife emitting killing intent equivalent capable of having Charles Manson look like nothing else but an infant. From behind them, one of the worms prepared to swallow the two of them together and it lunged at Manson from behind! Vera threw the Rose Eagle Thorn and it landed in Valentine''s hand but this time it wasn''t like the last time, the knife has evolved. ''MINEMINEMINE... YOU''RE MINE!!'' !!! *RUMBLE!!* As if pumping blood in his hands, veins started to grow crazily almost exploding as his mind flooded with dark thoughts and then the image of an individual showed itself in front of him, a woman he knows and he gasped at the sudden maniacal silhouette, a face he had never witnessed out of her. *SLASH!!* *BOOMMM!!* The slash was so strong that it blew gales of wind and red aura, directly obliterating one of Manson''s blazing arms cleanly and bisecting the head of the worm in a vicious angle with a single strike, bursting his blood vessels together with theirs and rendering the three of them in a deadlock. "UGHH!!! PIG!!!" Manson, an individual who seemed pain as nothing but commodity, found himself experimenting the worst kind of torture coming straight from his arm. Fayette and Vera were already gone and therefore, didn''t get to witness any of these events, but... Valentine had fallen and hurriedly released the Rose Eagle Thorn that fell on the ground, devouring the blood on it''s corrupted metal. ''CVVALEADASFDFFZRAEELASDADWD!!'' He held his head in pain as corrupted intonations flooded his mind coming from the knife, said weapon seemingly crawled across the sand on it''s own, approaching Valentine like a parasite thirsty for blood! ''W-WHAT!!?'' ''MINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINE!!!'' Manson''s body presented convulsions while the impact of the bisected worm shook the ground, having the other worm visibly scared! ''W-WHAT IS T-THIS!!?'' As if countless needles coated in acid were pinching his wounds, for the briefest of moments, he couldn''t even stand up. This continued for an entire minute in which the last worm fled for its life while the other two were already following Vera and Fayette. Valentine raised up and shook his head, he saw countless.... countless women, or demonesses, he couldn''t recognise them... they looked at him with myriad infatuation, obsessive, corrosive, toxic, awful. Only one of them he could recognise and it elated his blood. ''H-How is this possible!? How are you involved!?'' His deceased sister, Christine Wagner. ** ** "Can you see the carriage!?" Fayette while two ladies dwelled further in the gales of sand, they had left Valentine behind and were tailing the carriage that escaped, but it''s difficult to see within this sandstorm. "I can''t, but two of those worms are pursuing us, give me one of the spears!" Vera yelled from beside her; mounting Teddi. Fayette threw one of the spears from the ring and the two ladies kept going as fast as they could, following the trail of the sand until the silhouette of the carriage became visible. "We can''t stop moving... Miki and I will take care of the demon, you must take the carriage and take it to the forest!" The blonde announced her intention as they approached the carriage, the demon had already spotted them but he didn''t plan to stop, who knows what Manson would do to him if he failed! "Bastards!" He realised it was impossible to outrun them, his callisto bear is not as fast and it is also pulling the carriage! "Miki, take care of the bear!" Fayette jumped directly onto the moving carriage with her knife in hand and easily crawled up intending to lunge at the demon from behind. The sandstorm seemed to gain momentum at an increasing pace, devastating the land as the two worms approached the convoy. *BAAM!!* Miki immediately started to crash against the callisto bear who growled in retaliation; she even spewed magma on it. The demon soldier took his spear and planned to impale Miki on the get-go, but being crushed by Teddi from the other side he lost his balance and the blonde took the chance, she lunged with her knife in hand preparing to cut his disgusting neck away. It wasn''t that easy! Chapter 98 - Blood Thorn’s Curse II The fight between the two of them gave Vera enough time to cut the connection between the carriage and the demon soldier''s bear, leaving it ownerless until she connected her root to it. "I GOT IT!" "GO!!" Vera took the carriage while mounting Teddi while Fayette remained with Miki fighting the demon soldier. *BAANG!!* "UGH!!" She grunted in pain when the bastard punched her waist, quite close to where her crystal is, thankfully, she had plates; otherwise, that would have been devastating. Her bones ribs bent inwards and she noticed that with physical strength alone, she wouldn''t be able to defeat him. The demon noticed how the carriage went away and dodged one of Fayette''s swings, he''s as dead as he can be regardless of the outcome, whether he returns to the city or whatever... his only choice is to leave to another city and hope to not meet Manson ever again! *BAAANGG!!* Miki crashed heavily against the other bear nearly having the two of them crash drastically as one of the worms protruded with its myriad jaws from beneath the ground. ''I need to go!'' Fayette didn''t need to keep going against this demon, the objective has been completed, but she would have rather slaughtered this demon here in case he followed them back to the fortress, the location cannot be disclosed by any means, especially considering the party involved in this heist. With Miki taking them out of the way, they managed to evade the jaws of the worm, but that''s something so convenient for Fayette. *SLASH!!* "AAHHHH!!!" She changed her objective and cut one of the Demon''s Wings, she realised that the horntail is no longer useful against these foes, she needs an enhanced knife. *WHOOSH!!* The demon retaliated by swinging his spear but that momentum was everything she needed, with a missing wing he lost his balance and a kick from Fayette was all he needed to be sent tumbling down the bear and straight in the worm''s vicious jaws. She regarded the bloody carnage as the worm sank once again underground, she''d leave no loose ends that would threaten their peace. "How are you, Vale!? Vera has the carriage and is taking it home." "Yes, I am!" "I''m still fighting this bastard." He answered back from the badge, not sounding as preoccupied. "Should I go and help!?" She preferred to head there rather than return to their place. "Come!" He yelled and rendered her surprised, when does he even ask for help!? ''Hmph! It seems you''re learning to trust us.'' The blonde turned heels leaving a gargantuan sinking sand hole in her wake, it''s not a direct kill, but this is the first Demon Soldier she has taken down. ** ** *BAANGG!!* "B-BASTARD! STOP RUNNING!" A staggering Charles Manson approached with a missing arm; now, everything is so much more difficult, he had to change his hammer for a sword, there is no way he could efficiently battle with that massive hammer while only having a single hand, every time he tried to take a ''potion'' Valentine would attack and delay him. As time passed his skin turned burned and harsher with crimson flames protruding, he was going berserk as the strength increased exponentially. Valentine fought with extreme cautiousness and a keen eye, analyzing that power, the pros and cons... he wants to give that power to Fayette, if it is even possible to steal it. His only hypothesis is that by eating the bastard''s crystal... an action that he''d rather Fayette not partakes in; she''d obtain those powers. Regardless of how disgusting it would be to devour Charles Manson''s soul, they''re currently in need of power that can''t be turned down and he already has plans in regards to what ability he wants. If he''s correct then those ''curses'' or regiments as Volna called them, are each able to bestow someone a ''power''... in extreme cases like Vera''s case. This excuse of a human being was obviously able to happen upon such a miraculous encounter, and he wants to take that power away, it gives him explosive strength but seems to consume the flesh at the same time, it''s not something he''d like to give to Fayette, but compared to the Blood Maidens which he believes to be another regiment, she''s better off using this own. But he''s slow and Valentine; although aware that he can''t directly engage against a foe this strong, knows very well how to cripple a tiger before slaughtering it. He doesn''t need Fayette''s assistance, but he has plans for his blonde woman. "Who would have thought that the infamous Charles Manson would end up dying in such a pitiful way, all those people you killed for what? you achieved fuck all." He mocked further and as expected, the furiousness of the flame increased ridiculously. "YOU KNOW ME! I AM NOT YET DEAD, PIG! DISGUSTING PUSSIES LIKE YOU WON''T EVER BE ABLE TO KILL ME!" As increased his rage he lunged more like an animal and less like a human. Valentine hadn''t picked up the Rose Eagle Thorn, he didn''t dare to, there are too many things to consider and myriad thoughts in his mind but right now is not the time. He flashed by Manson who showed an obvious opening and cut through one of the cracks from which flame flowed, directly obliterating the entire leg. *BAANGG!!* "UGGH!!!" Valentine sighed, in a one-one skirmish; Bellcroft had been way more difficult. But if those two were to fight, perhaps Manson would have come out as the victor as they''re both heavyweights. But Bellcroft was faster, something that cost Manson a lot in this battle. "Y-YOU!" Falling on the ground, the light at the end of the tunnel turned bleak for Manson who immediately felt something stinging his eye. *FIUSH!!!* The knife went through his eyesocket, slowly and profusely. As the blood poured out, Manson who was about to retaliate found Valentine throwing a knife straight through his wrist and kicking it harshly against the sand, pinning his hand in place with a cold expression. This is the kind of people he slaughtered like chicken when he was alive, they all feared there mere mention of his name, this little flaming bitch would be no different. "UGH-WUAAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!" Manson grunted but still managed to pop up a smile in the moment of disaster, his power receded giving way to a calcinated skin as he laughed madly with the gales of sand interrupting his echoes. "How many times did you do this to your victims." Valentine spoke with coldness and wrath, the evil this person had caused in the world would forever be remembered surely up to Fayette''s generation. "Many times, I can''t even count~" The man felt no regret; no, he regrets he didn''t kill more! "..." "Do you know what''s the best?" He spat some blood against Valentine''s shirt and smiled, totally uncaring of his knife twisting within his brain. "They will never know how many of those pigs I killed, there or here!~" *FIIUSSH!!* "UGGHH F-FUCK!!" The knife went the deepest possible as Valentine grit his teeth without mercy. "W-Why don''t you go ahead and said who sent you? was it Marques W-Warcroft?" Manson asked, it would be a win for him so long as they could untangle the identity of this individual... Warcroft is just one of Sinclair''s many enemies but given the objective of this convoy... he''s the more likely one to have orchestrated this ambush *FIUSH!!* "Who is that? I came here for the resources... also, your power... where is your crystal?" He asked with furrowed brows, there is a hint in that question. "What? Do you want my power?! You won''t have it! THIS CURSE IS MINE AND MINE ALONE!!!!" Manson immediately started to retaliate furiously; further confirming Valentine''s thoughts. *FIUSSH!!* "You''re not going to live anyway... might as well give it better use than your rotten corpse!" Without even waiting anymore, he sliced Manson''s entire laughing head that fell on the ground with a thud and started to search for the tattoo. He didn''t need any further confirmation, that must definitely be the root of his power, Valentine continued to search as the man''s maddened laughter resonated across the gales of sand as if he didn''t care at all about the fact that his eye had just been gouged out. Unprecedented wickedness served as the prelude of the unimpeded erasure of a rotten soul, brimming with darkness for thousands of years. "Hehe~! If I die... YOU''RE COMING WITH ME!~" Mason yelled and the blazing veins reactivated with even more strength than before, turning crimson dark and inflating his body! !!!! Valentine didn''t have enough time to run but he tried; as fast as possible he tried to get away from this obvious self-destruction. *BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM---------------- A festival of blood and flesh accompanied with a blaze of crimson fire spread across several thousand of metres, Fayette who had been coming noticed the gargantuan explosion that blasted the corpses of all the demons away and even overturned the carriage. !!!! She ran faster together with Miki, not bothering with the blazing fire that scored her flesh and burned her all over, Miki was intact. For several minutes she sought his silhouette in the site of an explosion, only coming upon a small crystal... one brimming with silver brilliance and blazing might. She ignored it and continued to search for Valentine whose figure she couldn''t see amidst the corpses of the demons... "VALE!" "I''M HERE..." !!! A pile of scorched flesh raised up in annoyance, feeling his entire left side numb, he had tried to dig into the sand back then but wasn''t fast enough; thankfully, already used to being burned to smirteens, he is okay. Fayette embraced him tightly and took out one of the potions. "We have to leave quickly, those worms might come again looking for the motive of the explosion.." She had to give her stubborn boyfriend an excuse or else, he wouldn''t take this potion now, they have counted potions and won''t be able to get more until they either return to the Mahogany Devilish City or head somewhere else. Chapter 99 - Waves Of Hatred I Valentine raised up quickly and accepted her reasoning. "We have to take the carriage." He coughed up slightly and walked towards a particular spot where a now calmed blade awaited him. "You didn''t use it?" Fayette glared at the knife to the side, it didn''t have even a single drop of blood. She had Miki hook up and replace the corpse of the deceased and burned bear that had been pulling the carriage before, they have to leave ASAP, either due to the worms or searching forces that might be coming here now, if they have badges, it''s safe to assume that this bastard has one as well and communicated the happenings in here. ''Don''t cause trouble now...'' He growled inwardly and took the Rose Eagle Thorn, whose voice resonated in his mind immediately afterwards with grief and pure ire. ''WHY DIDN''T YOU USE ME... USE ME...!'' ''I''ll make sure to unsolve whatever you are, why do you have memories of my sister!'' He needs to know why he witnessed Christine''s face at that moment. ''I DON''T KNOW WHO YOUR SISTER IS! USE ME!'' Once again the countless women, likely previous users of this knife, started to yell at him with desperation craving for blood and he growled before letting the knife fall to the ground. It immediately started to crawl his way and Fayette noticed this as well. "J-Just what is that thing?! it emits such a sinister aura as if it''s a parasite." Fayette commented from the side with a flinching expression, now understanding to some extent why no one had bought this knife back then. "I don''t know, but... Faye, I could see the image of my sister." He told this to his girlfriend not intending to conceal anything from her. In fact, he needs to chat about this with Vera too once they settle down in their fortress, how is this even possible? was his sister a user of this blade in the past? how long ago...? does this mean that she is dead!? He needs answers and this knife doesn''t have them... "Y-Your sister? Christine? h-how is that... do you think your sister would be the type to come to hell?" The question is clear, she''s asking whether Christine Wagner was a sinner, an evil wench. "I''m sure she is..." He''d not deny this, she had inherited their father''s mercilessness just as he did, the two of them engaged in wanton incest and cheated on their respective partners for more than twenty years... such a person can''t possibly be in heaven, but... he didn''t expect that she would have come here already, and is no more... "We can talk about this later, right now; look I can feel the ground shaking, come quickly!" Fayette had her doubts as well, anything that regarded any of his exes was of deep concern to her, especially that ''sister''. "Um." Valentine didn''t mount Miki straight away, instead, he started to search for something. "f you''re looking for his crystal, it''s right there..." Fayette pointed him of the direction where she had previously seen the crystal and he found it. "It''s silver... who could have believed that a bloody serial killer is a silver soul... could he have evolved like Vera?" He didn''t care; moving back to their location he mounted on Miki''s back behind Fayette, this mission had been a success, partly. ... ''Warcroft.'' The man began communication through the Badge''s channel. ''Report to me what happened, did you get the objective!?'' The hurried voice of the demon resonated from the other side with more anxiousness than his rank as a Marques should ever bring forth from him. ''That boy that Sandmortelle showed us wasn''t here... instead, there was bloody Charles Manson... what is the meaning of this?!'' Valentine started to believe they were set up, the convoy had been too strong, were it not for the excruciating plans that the trio had laid down, it would have been a pipe dream to defeat these demons. Together with the appearance of the worms, they managed to fend them off... in retrospect, Charles Manson hadn''t even been a difficult opponent, but that''s because he fought him one on one; otherwise, he''d not be able to tell whether he could defeat the latter or not. ''That bastard; he''s Sinclair''s protector of the Burning Wrath City... could it be that he removed his son from the entourage? did he know what we were planning, fuck...'' Valentine could literally feel warcroft rubbing his head in annoyance. ''What are the implications of this to me, I don''t want trouble in my land.'' Valentine expressed his concern straight away, they were clearly set up or something didn''t go according to Warcroft''s plans, the last thing he wants is a group of a hundred demons coming to hunt him and his girls to the forest, even with all the traps in the world, he''d not be able to fend off such an army, that is... until he carried on his original plans. Fayette and Vera who were already in the city listened to the entire conversation across the channel. ''So you have already claimed the forest as your ''land''... brazen indeed; fear not, this is my concern and I shall pay for it dearly... your mission is accomplished, you can come to the Mahogany Devilish City at any time, I''m going to send Sandmortelle to sort out the loot that you have obtained... you can keep half of the currency, but all of the weapons are mine, understood?'' ''And what if I don''t want to?'' ''Then you can go and die in his hands!'' ''Is that how you answer to an entourage that was able to fend off such a convoy successfully? A protector, four demon soldiers and twenty common demons... moreover, the worms, I think I deserve more Warcroft... my girls almost died and I don''t like anything bad happening to my girls...'' Valentine growled and both beauties blushed on their respective ends, even Fayette curled up her lips. ''This bastard is getting too used to the Netherworld, when were we about to die?!'' He''s shamelessly scamming a Demon Marques. ''...'' Warcroft almost gasped on the other side of the communicator. ''So?'' ''You can come to the city anytime you want to collect further rewards, but... I must still keep the weapons, armours and explosives... half of the treasury is yours, don''t be greedy, bastard!'' ''Very well, we shall go later and see what you have for us.'' Valentine smiled with contentment, they can no longer be the little pussies they were before, if they don''t extort those shameless demons once or twice a day, they''re going to be taken advantage of at any turn. "We''re going back, Vera!" They informed the lady from the other side of the communicator. "Okay, I''m already here and waiting, Lolo and Lola are here too, it seems they cooked something for us!" "Perfect!" The couple smiled, what could be more perfect than this? right now they don''t even feel like cooking, truly the best neighbourhood. The communication cut down and the pair found themselves going back to the city. "Faye..." Valentine placed Manson''s crystal in his mouth and called for her. "...?" She turned around softly while they rode Miki. !!! When their lips met, she initially believed it to be one of his great romantic moments and answered the kiss with plenty of love from herself, but when something slipped inside her mouth, she swallowed instinctively and nearly coughed! *PUAG!* Their mouths separated and she coughed slightly, but slapped her back softly and deepened the kiss, making sure she swallowed it. "Y-YOU!!" She pushed him away and touched her throat, that thing tasted horrible! "I''m sorry, if I tell you what it is, you''re not going to swallow it, I know how you are Faye..." He embraced her tightly, now he can sigh in relief, she''s going to be better, stronger or at least that''s what he hopes. They have progressively become stronger by eating cores, it''s almost imperceptible at each instance, but there is no doubt that they have become physically and mentally stronger, capable of decimating enemies faster, thinking rationally, so on and so forth. All due to the fact that they have been devouring the enemy''s crystals, the demon cores. Even if she doesn''t manage to get Manson''s blazing powers, at the very least it should represent a dramatically increase of strength for her, he was a silver soul... one rank in the same category as Fayette. "What did you give me!?" She never believed it was something to harm her, just something that she''d not take under normal circumstances. "You just ate Charles Manson''s crystal... he''s the bastard I was fighting and If I''m correct, you should get that weird firepower of his." From what he could understand it''s some kind of odd blazing power that allows him to use fire in his attacks and also, increase his physical strength over time, perhaps Fayette could give great use to this ability, but he has already thought of what he wants for himself. !!! "CHARLES MANSON!? YOU ACTUALLY HAD ME SWALLOW ANYTHING THAT CAME FROM THAT DISGUSTING GARBAGE!?" How could she not know who this person is? in reality; back in her time Valentine''s reputation had come to be worse than Charles Manson''s with the passage across the rivers of history, she doesn''t have a way to tell if either of them were done injustice, but just regarding the bloody countenance of the man when he came, which clearly indicated the slaughter in which he participated; possibly for the sake of pleasure. It''s more than evident that history did that man justice in having every single person know that he was a wicked being that deserved to go to hell, and he did... sadly, he had a better time here than he did on Earth. "You just kissed a mass genocider, have you forgotten?" He asked with a snicker. "...." The woman wasn''t able to utter a single word afterwards.